What to Expect from a Weight Loss Surgery Information Center

The weight loss surgery information center is not just a place to find information on the best weight loss doctors, surgeons, and hospitals where surgery can be performed. In fact, you can gain more knowledge from a weight loss surgery information center regarding obesity, its effects, and its complications.

A center for information

A weight loss surgery information center provides you with essential information about anything regarding obesity and surgery. It is your guide for those who want to undergo weight loss surgery but do not have enough knowledge or information about the matter.

Kinds of technology

At a weight loss surgery information center, you can also learn about the kinds of technology being used in performing weight loss surgery. For example, the LAP-BAND or the laparoscopic band technology is one of the latest techniques being used for gastric bypass surgeries.

The procedure

You can also learn more about the different types of procedures in performing gastric bypass surgery through the information center. With that knowledge, you can have an idea on what the weight loss surgeon is going to do to you.

You need to be informed

Weight loss surgery consists of various types. Each procedure can cause a variety of restrictions to the body so you need to have a complete understanding on how each procedure can affect you during and after surgery before going under the knife.

Be guided

The weight loss surgery information center is also the place where you can be guided on what you can do to prepare yourself before surgery. It is also where you can be guided on what you can do and what you can expect after surgery. The information center can also advise you on how you can live healthily after you get better from surgery.

Before jumping in

Let your new knowledge from the information center guide you when it comes to making your decision on whether to undergo weight loss surgery or not. Remember that being informed is crucial especially if you are planning to go through a life-changing event, such as surgery.

Phillip England is a weight loss expert and Author of the popular report "The Ultimate Weight Loss Secret". To receive your free information on the secret that doctors, and health companies either don't know, or don't want you to know, please see http://www.theultimateweightlosssecret.com/secret

Expert Trainer Gives You 3 Ways to Lose More Fat

Once you get in the zone, burning fat can be very easy. I know, easier said than done, right? But maybe you just don't have the right tips and tricks in your arsenal to help you get started on the right foot.

So here are three of the most important things you need to be doing to get your fat burning workout program started properly.

1) Use Fitday to figure out your food intake.

You can't just "wing it". You can't "eyeball" your food intake, as research shows that even nutritionists underestimate how much food they are eating.

If you don't know whats going down your throat each day, you are going to eat way too much food and never burn the fat. If you aren't losing fat, it's a simple numbers game. You are eating too much. And if you know your numbers, its easy to make the necessary changes.

As one client said on the message boards...

"Ok, I input all my meals on Fitday yesterday, including 2 cheats that I didn't think were a big deal. One was a handful of trail mix and the other was a handful of goldfish crackers. (yes, I have kids :-) ) I can't believe how just those two seemingly harmless snacks added up!! No wonder I have a muffin top! Yikes! So thanks for the tip about Fitday because that's going to keep me accountable."

The little things add up so quickly! You'll be amazed when you finally start counting your calories that you will often be far above your recommended intake.

A little bit here and a little bit there is all that is needed to sabotage your efforts.

Use it and lose it!

2) Use the right recovery pace in your interval training

The biggest mistake people make in interval training is working too hard during the recovery period.

If you continue to work at a hard pace when you should be almost resting, you wont get the true benefits of interval training.

So lose the cardio mentality and be sure to alternate between periods of harder than normal exercise, and very easy exercise.

If you don't know about interval training, here is how it goes.

Start with your normal warmup. Let's say walking at 3.0mph on the treadmill. Do this for five minutes, and then increase the speed to 3.8mph (a fast walk). Do this for 30-60 seconds (as long as you are comfortable doing it - don't do it if you feel that is too fast for you).

Drop the intensity way back to three miles per hour.0mph for 60-90 seconds. That is one interval. Go back and forth between working hard and going easy for 3-6 rounds. Then finish with a 5-minute cool-down.

Use the recovery period to recover!

3) Plan your food intake on the weekend

Set aside time to plan, shop, and prepare several days worth of meals. Use a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to cook some chicken breasts, prepare some raw vegetables, wash your fruit, and pack up your nuts.

A little bit of knowledge can go a long way.

Its that easy.

Use interval training in your fat burning workout and bodyweight exercises to sculpt your body.

Action Guided Spokane Weight Loss For Guaranteed Results

Have you gotten going on your quest for a better body and a better life? Have you made any significant amount progress toward your goal?

Or are you going to "wait until next Monday" to start your fitness plan.

There's a story about a frog. Now this frog wasn't particularly smart. On one particular day this frog slipped into that barrel only half full of liquid. He was very close to drowning, and the other frogs were on top of the barrel and taunting him while he was trying to swim.

But this frog was so dumb he thought they were cheering him on, so he paddled faster and faster and faster until he churned the cream into butter, and then he was able to hop back out of the barrel. It's a great story I know!

What does this have to do with weight loss?

Well, maybe your not "ready" to lose weight, you don't know what to do, you don't want to make a fool of yourself, you don't want to....(or any other excuse out there.

No matter what your current fitness level or situation - it doesn't matter!! Just get going.

I certainly know this, if you don't get started, you won't finish. As the saying goes, if you keep doing what you've always done you'll only get what you've already got.

Even if you don't know what to do, the first step is to find out what to do to maximize your weight loss. Maybe that first step is to find a quality personal trainer or fitness coach that can help you achieve your fitness goals in a tenth the time as on your own.

Don't be like a scorpion I read about in South America. In its aggressiveness on himself he will sting itself and die of its own poison.

In other words don't ever quit your quest for fitness. Don't ever quit!! (I said that again for emphasis.)

A torpedo/missile does not "think out" all its errors in advance, and attempt to correct them in advance. It has to get going first - moving toward it's enemy target, correcting errors as it gets closer toward its goal.

That's just like with weight loss. You may not start with the "perfect" plan or that just right regimen. Just get going and adjust as you learn more and find out what works for you.

We need to focus on any and even the smallest improvement toward overall fitness. Not the failures or what it has taken to get those improvements.

Just keep going toward that dream or goal you believe in, if you believe it that's all that counts, you don't need to convince anyone else of your goal for it to be your goal of weight loss and for it to become a reality.

Zach Hunt is a Spokane Weight Loss Coach and owner of Physzique, a personal fitness coaching service helping busy professionals to eliminate fat in the quickest time possible. Go now to: Resource For Fitness Spokane for more fitness tips and resources.

Day 4 - Follow My Weight Loss Program - Holiday Season Fast Approaching

Ok, so there are four days left until Christmas, however less than 24 hours left until all of the family gathering, foods and fun start. Our family will be getting together starting on Saturday and going all the way through next week. This means I have to get myself disciplined, and do so in a hurry.

I can not begin to tell you, if you do not experience it yourself, just how much and how many different foods there will be sitting in front of me over the next several days. You name it. Hams, turkeys, potatoes, stuffing, yams, I better stop, it is early morning and I haven't had breakfast just yet and all this talk about food...well you know.

Come to think of it I haven't even thought about the cakes, cookies, pies...yikes, I think I just did. So as you can see, the pressure will be intense over the course of this holiday season, but that's ok. I didn't expect losing 50 pounds to be easy. In fact I was and am expecting it to be hard. I call it punishment for packing it on in the first place.

With that said I see no reason why, even though it will be hard, that it can't be fun. Therefore over the next few days I am going to see if I can get a hold of different recipes for healthy food. If you have any good websites or ideas, please submit a comment, I would appreciate it. I enjoy cooking. Cooking is a great way to be creative with something, or feel a sense of completion when you make someone Else's recipe and it comes out great.

Also when it comes to the exercise portion of the program, I want to make that as fun as well. Besides the normal lifting weights, running/walking etc., maybe I will get myself involved some local sports club or something along those lines. A long time ago, in a galaxy far...oh wait that is a different story. Seriously, a long time ago I use to play hockey, both ice and street as well as do a lot of skiing. I will have to look into getting back into doing maybe that. It is enjoyable, definitely great sources of exercise, and something I would look forward to. I mean, lets face it, I really don't look forward to getting up at 5:00am to walk the dog. I love the dog, but does he really need to go out, that early in the morning? Doesn't he know how cold it is outside?

In any event, although losing 50 pounds will not be easy, it should not be boring either.

Regards, Mike P.

About the Author You can follow Mike's weight loss program on his Blog at http://followmyweightlossprogram.blogspot.com/

There you can follow Mike's progress as he details his daily fitness and nutrition program on his way to losing 50 pounds by December 31st, 2008.

How to Get Ripped Without Getting Ripped Off - II

4-5 Small Meals Are Better For Dropping Fat

So divide the number your came for your Basic Metabolic Rate by how many meals you will be having per day, which is usually 4-5. Dont go less than 4 or more than 6 meals per day as it tends to make the fat loss process more challenging.

We are going to divide by 5 as I have found that 5 meals per day is the optimum for most people. In this case we came up with roughly 250 calories per meal, which is the amount of calories that you need to consume per meal. For best results space your meals out ever 2.5 to 3 hours.

You can pick the ratio of fat to carbs or protein that suits you best but in my experience a 60/40 carbs to protein works for most people. Keep in mind this is a guideline as some people do even better on higher carbs or higher protein. Dont be afraid to play with the rations until you find what works best for your metabolism.

A couple of extra points

1) Every time you feel hungry drink 500 ml to 1 litre of water

2) You will feel hungry for the first couple of weeks but it will subside. Remember no one ever died from a hunger pain.

3) When you feel the sensation of hunger, dont eat, and dont call it hunger. Just go inside with the feeling and observe it without labeling the sensation. When it finally goes away (usually 5-15 minutes) youre then free to eat. This strategy helps you take back control of what I call artificial hunger due to psychological programming.

Step 3 is an extremely powerful mental technique, which allows you to go inside the hunger pain. This was taught to me by Dr. David Hawkins. Whats interesting is Dr. Hawkins was the first person ever to simplify and identify the exact process I naturally used while preparing for my competitions. I could never really explain it until I listened to his audio CD on Weight Loss. Thanks Dr. Hawkins!

Training To Get Lean

Training to get lean is simple but not always easy.

I have found that 5 weight training sessions per week with 5 cardio sessions per week works best for most people. Consistency, intensity, and a great attitude will go along ways to achieving your desired look.

I like the body part per day program with calves or abdominals trained 2-3 times per week on alternate days. Your weight training sessions will generally last between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours and the cardio should be from 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Recently, there has been a trend for short intense anaerobic workouts twice a week to replace the need for 5 cardio sessions which many people find work better. The intensity of these cardio sessions is on the high end and they are not for the faint of heart but boy do they work for dropping weight fast. I will be writing more about this style of training in future articles.

The Get Ripped Conclusion

A total of 10 hours a week investment will have you losing 1-2 lbs of body fat consistently for weeks until you get your desired body fat percentage. That's it you can take all the supplements you want or none at all, whichever you like. Follow this formula for 21 days and you will be down a couple of percentage points of body fat. Guaranteed!

Yes there are finer points to overcome, psychological food addictions, optimum training program, precise menus to follow as well as specialized supplements, which can speed up the process, which I cover in depth with my clients and in my courses.

The Bottom line is losing body fat is as predictable a law as gravity. Follow the formula and the weight drops every time.

So take the 21-day challenge and see what happens as you have EVERYTHING TO LOSE.

Wade McNutt is a Natural National Bodybuilding Champion and an IFBB Mr. Universe World Champion. He combined the secrets of Eastern Yoga Masters with, scientific, muscle building to produce a revolutionary new health system, called Freaky Big Naturally, find out more at http://www.freakybignatural.com

What If You Gained 10 Pounds This Weekend?

I always marvel at the reports I get from men and women who claim to have gained 10 pounds over a weekend. In truth, this is next to impossible. It doesn't matter how much you try to pig out, you just couldn't gain 10 pounds of fat in a weekend. Not even 5 pounds. Nor 3. Maybe 1, but no more.

So despite how much weight you worry you are going to gain this Easter weekend, the truth is, it's tough to actually gain pounds of fat in a weekend.

Take for example the traditional notion that there are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. To even gain 3 pounds of fat over a weekend, you'd need to consume an extra 10,500 calories. Now that's tough. In fact, that's about the number of calories in 19 Big Mac's.

Now please tell me you don't eat 19 Big Mac's in a weekend?

If you do, then you have trouble. Plus, that doesn't take into account the 1500-2000 calories a normal person burns each day. So over a 3 day weekend, you'd have to throw another 10 Big Macs into your diet to gain the 3 pounds in one weekend for our example. So let me know how eating 29 Big Macs in 3 days turns out.

I really hope no one tries that!

Also, take a look at this study. Researchers from Virginia State University gave men an extra 1000 calories per day for 8 weeks. For most people, that would be a tough challenge to eat that many extra calories unless they were eating all types of junk food.

By the end of the 8 week study, the men gained an extra 11 pounds. That's 11 pounds after 8 weeks of "pigging out", not just a weekend where they went to the Outback Steakhouse and had a "Blooming Onion".

Reference: Obesity 15:3005-3012 (2007)

What most people see on the scale after a weekend of "road trip eating" is just an increase in fluid retention due to the high-sodium and high-carbohydrate diet, as well as some fat (but certainly not 10 pounds of it in only 48 hours).

So the next time you get off track with your weekend eating and are shocked to discover that you've gained 10 pounds, just take a deep breath and realize that is not an accurate measurement of the real damage.

If you get off track, just focus on getting back in charge of your nutrition, sticking to whole, natural foods, and cutting out the high-sodium, high-carbohydrate processed snacks. This shouldn't be too hard, because you'll probably feel terrible from the weekend's junk food.

In addition to returning to fruits, vegetables, nuts, and protein for your meals during the week, make sure to add three total body resistance training workouts and 3 interval cardio workouts to help you burn fat and return to your normal weight.

Start with a bodyweight warm up, then do resistance training supersets to boost your metabolism, and then finish the workout with fat burning interval training.

If you do that, you'll lose weight, not gain fat!

Fat Loss workouts prevent fat gain. Get more information on the fat loss forums.

Weight Loss Tips That Work

Losing weight isn't rocket science; eat less, weigh less, sounds easy. Unfortunately, there are many variables that determine how quickly or slowly you will lose weight. While there are thousands of weight loss tips available to you, not all of them work. Here are some everyday tips that are known to make a difference to your weight loss efforts:

1) Raise Your Metabolism By Eating More

It is true. Cutting your calories back too drastically will actually slow your metabolism and slow your weight loss efforts. Diets providing less than 1000 calories per day may actually provide too few calories to keep your weight loss rate up. You are likely to lose more weight if you graze, eating five or six small meals daily. Eating small meals frequently throughout the day also keeps your insulin levels steady so that you do not get blood sugar crashes that sabotage your best intentions.

2) Drink Water, Eliminate Soda.

One of the easiest things you can do is to take soda, even diet soda, off your menu, and replace it with water. Replacing soda with water is a double advantage; you forgo the calories in the soda and drink enough water to keep your metabolism running high. Water helps you to feel full, as well as flushes out toxins and keeps your kidneys running well. When your kidneys are working well, your liver can stick to its job of metabolizing fat. Without enough water, your liver has to pick up the kidneys slack, filtering blood rather than metabolizing fat. If you hate the taste of plain water, consider bubbly water (seltzer) with lemon or lime. Some of the new flavored water works well also, but you will be drinking quite a lot of it, so make sure that you are comfortable with the flavoring additives used.

3) Plan Your Snacks.

Snacks are everywhere; in the office, at the gym, at school. If you do not have a plan before you head out, it is likely that you will succumb to the temptations, especially if you get tired or bored. Plan ahead so that you have tasty snacks comparable to the temptations found in the vending machine. Finally, make sure that you eat something small at least every four hours to keep your hunger under control.

4) Add Some Weights

Cardio is the easy part. Well, not exactly easy, but certainly familiar. Most of us have no problem jogging or doing aerobics for our exercise routines, but lifting weights will actually ramp your metabolism up for longer than your cardio routine. Add two-20 minute weight sessions a week, working with a qualified fitness professional at first if you have never used weights before. Remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so do not get upset if you initially see the scales nudge upwards a bit. As you add the muscle your resting metabolism will raise, and in no time you will see the results not only on the scale, but in your clothes also.

5) Buy a pedometer.

Studies have shown that people that take 10,000 steps a day lose weight without having to make extensive changes to their eating habit. Just think how quickly you will tone up if you do both.

Kerry-Ann Matthews successfully lost 75 pounds three years ago and still maintains it. During her four years of post secondary studies, she focused on health, nutrition and healthy weight loss. For free information on a guaranteed way to lose weight visit http://www.deliciousdieting.com

Weight Loss with Green Juice and Water

Weight loss with green juice and water is not a fad diet. If you are looking for quick weight loss look elsewhere. If you are looking for a healthy and gradual weight loss consider green juice and water. Green tea is also beneficial for dieting, but, we are talking about green juice. There is a difference.

The green juice I'm referring to is made mostly from green vegetables. Some formulations include forms of green algae and other include grains. I have seen formulation recommending green fruits as well. All of the above mentioned green juice formulations are beneficial to your health. I am talking about green tea from green vegetables.

Green juice provides a wide range essential nutrients that our body needs. Many people feel much more energetic taking green juice. Increased energy levels provides a faster metabolism resulting in weight loss.

Research has cited that smokers can benefit from green juice supplementation as it reduces the risk factor of numerous diseases associated with smokers elevated oxidative states.

What about the water?

For years I have heard the admonition to drink eight glasses of water a day. No one I talked to new why. I will give you a good reason why.

Our body is designed to maintain it self best at a ph of about 7.2. That is what is known as slightly alkaline. Neutral is 7 on the ph scale. It seems that acid conditions ( when our bodys are below 7.2) exist , the acid is stored in fat. If we have excess acid in our bodies, the body will store fat so it can keep the acid in check. That is a simplistic explanation and it is close to what happens.

Water is necessary to carry the acid out of the body and lessen the reason for the body to store fat. Do not mistake liquids for water. The canned drinks,sodas, beer and even the diet drinks result in increased acid in your body and make it difficult to loss weight. In fact many people feel an energy increase just from eliminating the sodas.

The alkalinity of your body can be determined using litmus paper also known as ph paper. Litmus paper is used in testing laboratories of many descriptions and is used to determine the approximate acidity of a compound. You can test your saliva using it and get an indication if your body is acidic or alkaline. You will not be able to tell if it is exactly 7.2 that way.

Your local health food store can direct you to the green juice shelf. It is available in capsules, powder and liquid formulations.

For more interesting articles on dieting and weight loss visit: Weight Loss Tips Site

The Safe-n-Sure Weight Loss Plan

There are hundreds of ways of losing weight and thousands of methods to regain it. Pills, designer foods, special diets, medical treatments can all help you in achieving this then why do you need another programme? People mistakenly assign most of their efforts to losing weight instead of maintaining weight loss. In reality, it should be the opposite-weight maintenance should be the focus.

The key is not just losing weight but also maintaining the shape that you have achieved. I really find it amusing when weight loss programmes make claims such as "lose 10 kg in 15 days" or try to attract people through before-and-after advertisements. Losing weight is one thing and maintaining the weight loss is quite another. Anyone can tell you how to lose weight, but there are a few who will tell you how to remain slim and trim.

You can avoid the inconvenience of repeated failed diets once you know how to:

Burn your own body fat as an energy source (lose 1 to 3 kg a week).

Boost your metabolism naturally.

Improve your digestion and liver function to detoxify your body and burn fat.

Help your hormones to keep fat off.

Tone your body to bum fat.

Reduce stress and banish overeating.

Enjoy delicious recipes that are palatable, pleasant and satisfying.

Identify any allergies that may be contributing to your weight.

Fast track your weight loss with natural supplements and herbs.

Enjoy foods that burn calories fast.

Learn to manage your hunger.

Everybody is different, and every treatment should be different. What I teach my clients are ways to help their bodies regulate weight automatically. Your body knows what to do. Treat it right and it will get on with its job. Every person is different and wants to be treated and respected as a unique person, not as a "number". This is where many books and weight loss centres leave you in the dark. The author's weight loss programmes are typically aimed at modulating a healthy lifestyle. These programmes have a two-pronged approach:

Weight Loss

Weight Management

Hunger Management

The Perfect Dietary Regimen

I recommend a dietary regimen I call NCMPP (Normal Carbohydrates-as prescribed by the Dietary Charts-Moderate Proteins and Low Fat). This dietary plan is ideal in naturally reducing weight and at the same time maintaining a perfect balance of nutrients in the body. It should be noted that one has to cut down on the calorie intake and not the basic nutrients required by the body.

The approach has to be two-pronged: first, increasing the metabolic rate so that you end up burning more calories (remember, each 450 grams of weight represents 3,500 Kcal) and second, creating a calorie deficiency in permissible limits (reducing calorie intake to less than 1,100 Kcal is not advisable), so that you end up consuming calories from your buffer.

An ideal diet should have lots of water content, moderate minerals and moderate vitamins so that you maintain and enhance your BMR, thereby burning more calories.

Read more on How to lose weight. Check out for daily diet plans and diet supplements.

Losing Holiday Weight

With the holidays over and the New Year upon us, now is as good of time as any to actually begin your annual new year's resolution to shed some of those pounds. Not to simply make the resolution, or verbally commit to begin, but to get off your rear end and actually do something. Follow these simple suggestions and you will be well on your way to a new and improved you for 2008.

Exercise - Yes, I know exercise can be tedious, dull, and exhausting but that just means you are doing the wrong kind of exercise. Exercise is about doing physical activity that you enjoy and shouldn't be something that you dread. Choose something you enjoy doing such as tennis, dancing, or swimming. Otherwise, you will never stick with it.

Smaller Portions - Weight loss works very simply; you have to burn more calories than you consume. Coupled with exercise, eating smaller portions will allow you to start losing weight. Just because a restaurant serves you a specific portion certainly does not mean you have to eat the whole thing; take the leftovers home. A key to eating smaller portions is eating slower. This will keep you from overeating and your stomach can register when it is full.

Healthier Eating - Let's be honest; we are not going to eat super healthy every minute of everyday and nor should you. Restricting yourself from your favorite foods and desserts will only make you want them more. So you just need to be smarter about how much of your favorites you consume. Eat just one piece rather than half the pie. If you are forced to eat out at a fast-food restaurant or similar establishment, try a healthier option such as a salad. Cut back on sugar and replace your diet soda or energy drink with water.

Weight Loss Supplement - In conjunction with daily physical activity and more conscientious eating, a weight loss supplement such as Akavar 20/50 can be an effective weight loss tool. Akavar helps curb hunger and thus enables you to eat less calories so you can burn more calories.

Phentermine - Do You Get It

Phentermine is one of the most popular diet pills in the world for its powerful hunger-killing effects and the energy boost you'll feel when you take it. Yet, it's also one of the most misunderstood diet pills you can buy.

Most people think Phentermine is a cure-all' for their weight problem. Some even take it just to lose a few pounds. Unbelievable! Phentermine is intended for obesity sufferers with a BMI of at least 27 points.

One of the problems Phentermine users face is rebound weight gain. You may know this as the infamous yo-yo' dieting trend that affects more than 90% of people using Phentermine - and chances are that if you're reading this, you've lost weight only to gain it back again. But what can you do about it?

There is no diet pill in the world that will help you lose weight AND keep it off forever.

Everyone is missing the point, and I'm here to share it - right now. Here goes...

Phentermine is a tool, and if you use it to change your habits while you're losing weight, I promise you will never gain the weight back. See, when you use Phentermine, you won't want, so the pounds will drop off like never before. That sounds great, doesn't it? But unless you get expert help to improve your eating and exercise habits, you will start eating badly again when you stop taking the pill, and that will put you straight back onto the path toward obesity.

I may tell it like it is' but do not get me wrong. There is hope. Actually, it's almost guaranteed that you will succeed if you make good use of the time you're taking Phentermine. Since you won't suffer from cravings or low energy, you'll be able to eat the right foods and start light fat-burning exercise 3-5 days a week.

If you feel a bit lost right now, that's ok. You're not alone in this. I'm here to guide you through weight loss with Phentermine until you succeed. All you need to do is sign up for my free Phentermine weight loss course, where I'll teach you step-by-step how lose weight and keep it off forever.

5 of the Best Weight Loss Tips for Long-Term Success

If you've decided that you need to lose weight, it is important to devise a plan that you will follow long-term. Long-term weight loss should not be a plan that you follow a few months, then you go back to eating the same way that got you overweight in the first place! It is important to your long-term success that you make permanent lifestyle changes in both your diet and daily exercise. Here are 5 of the best weight loss tips to help you achieve your goals:

1. Always eat breakfast.

How many times did your hear your mother say this is the most important meal of the day? She was right! By ensuring that you have a balanced and nutritious breakfast each morning you are helping to give your metabolism a kick start. Not only will you no longer be tempted by sugary snacks half way through the morning but the calories you consume will burn off a lot faster.

2. Don't skip meals.

As long as you eat your meals at regular intervals then your metabolism will improve even more. On top of that, you won't be as tempted to eat unhealthy snacks because you are hungry. Many health professionals now recommend eating 5-6 smaller meals a day. Eating every couple of hours will keep you from ever feeling hungry, will aid your digestion, and will keep your metabolism working at top speed.

3. Take your time.

Actually sit down for your meals, take your time, and savor each mouthful. Unlike our ancestors, most people in the Western world are eating far too much and eating it far too quickly. By slowing down the rate at which you eat your food you will give your body time to signal you that it is full. You will find that this often happens with smaller portions if you take the time to eat slowly and chew thoroughly.

4. Take control of your portion sizes.

It is important that with any meal the amount of food on your plate should be no larger than your two fists. So if you go out to a restaurant for a meal either order smaller portions, if possible, or take half your food home for another meal. Restaurants are notorious for serving portion sizes that are much too large for the average adult!

5. Get Active.

A great way of getting active without having to go to the gym each day is just by changing your daily routine. For example, if you go to work on the bus then get off a couple of stops earlier and walk the rest of the way. If you work in an office that has elevators, then why not use the stairs a few times a day? It is fairly simple to add more walking to your life, and the benefits are many.

These ideas are very simple, but they are some of the best weight loss tips you'll find. And you'll find them even easier to implement!

An effective weight loss program does not have to mean deprivation or back-breaking exercise routines. To discover simple strategies for lasting weight loss and a free book of delicious recipes, be sure to check out my Painless Weight Loss Tips blog at: http://www.painless-weight-loss.com/

Looking For Loss In All The Wrong Places

Yes, loss. Weight loss. You got it. It seems that there are many more places on Earth to gain weight than to lose it. It doesn't seem quite fair, but that is the way it is. Here we are in times that harp on youth, slim bodies, and health - and most of us are middle aged and middle overweight.

You would think that you could lose weight in a gym. But to be honest, a gym can't make you lose weight. It may help, but exercise alone cannot do the whole job. Besides, aren't you always hungrier after you work out? It always works out that there is a sub sandwich, pizza, or fast food restaurant near your gym. It's probably on your way home too and the have TAKEOUT... I think "they" plan it that way.

How about taking those pills that supposedly make you lose weight? They also can't do the whole job all by themselves. It is the same with the diet food programs. As long as you eat the costly food you order from them you may lose some weight, but don't think that it will continue if you choose to leave the program! It is the same old two-step.... stop the props, stop the weight loss, and regain the weight. That's the way it goes - over and over again. And it seems that every time we start this never-ending circle, we think the outcome will be different. Ah, the ever hopeful nature of the human dieter!

Of course, one would never even think of trying to look in fast food places for weight loss. Even I know that. But it is interesting to watch how many people go in there everyday anyway. Aren't the people in the fast food commercials always slim and young? Maybe I've just been ordering the wrong things on my forays into these places. Next time I'll try an order of slim waist, size 8-dress body, and a big helping of skinny legs and arms. Maybe that will help.

What about bars, parties, or holiday meals? Bars after all only have peanuts or pretzel mix to eat. How much weight could a person gain on that? And of course we all know that parties only serve food in which the calories don't count. There is an unwritten law somewhere about that, I think. And I personally know that Aunt Ellen takes every one of the extra calories out of the food she serves at her holiday table!

Let's look at my personal favorite place to look for weight loss, Mexican Food Restaurants. I just always know that I have lost some weight in there somewhere, and I guess that I just keeping going back in to look for it. So far, even with all of my looking, I never seem to find anything there except fat, fat, and more fat, mainly on me.

You can look for weight loss in the many and varied diets that everyone tries. From the cantaloupe diet to the ice cream diet, if you look hard enough, you can always find a diet that sounds halfway fun. Everyone has a friend that can tell you about the dozens of diets they have been on and how they worked. But it always seems that those friends are even heavier than I am!

So I guess it comes down to this. If you look for an answer anywhere but inside yourself, you are doomed to failure. You can find weight loss in all of those places listed above if it first starts inside of you. No one can help you do anything unless you let them. If you choose to change your lifestyle to reflect a healthier and leaner one, then your body in time will follow. Now you know the answer. And the answer has been YOU all the time.

Take care and love yourself.

Frances Lewis

The author operates http://www.yourbestweightlosssite.com an educational and informational blog about health and weight loss. She is a 30+-year veteran of the health services business. Now she devotes her full time educating and helping people reach their ideal body weight. Frances has always had a passion for teaching and education. She helps others to gain control of their health and their weight. Visit http://www.squidoo.com/YourBestWeightLossSite for more information.

Lose Weight Immediately

You CAN learn how to Lose Weight from the comfort of your home.

Ever wonder why there are so many different diet and exercise plans on the market? From low carb and point-counting diets to boot camp programs and kickboxing, there is a different eating plan and exercise class for every day of the month!

If any of these programs actually worked for everyone, don't you think the rest of the programs would fall out of favor? The problem is that most programs require drastic changes in eating habits or lifestyle, making them hard to sustain in the long term.

Losing weight is not an easy task. Whether you are male or female, young or more mature, shedding weight can be an enormous challenge. This is not your fault! Weight loss is hard for everyone, regardless of size or genetics. However, thanks to technological advancements and amazing new products, today weight loss is not nearly as challenging as it once was.

Lose Weight without being hungry?

You can lose weight without being hungry. You can learn to take control of the Snack Monster and your program can be one to set you up for success, not failure.

An important key is to learn how to recognize what your body requires, the signals it gives you, and learn how to respond to those signals appropriately diet and guilt are two words that do not belong together.

I have made my mind UP!

Once you have made up your mind to lose weight, you should make that commitment and go into it with a positive attitude. Losing weight requires major lifestyle changes, including diet and nutrition, exercise, and behavior modification. We all know that losing weight can be quite a challenge. It takes time, practice and support to change lifetime habits. But it's a process you must learn in order to succeed.

Being Successful at Losing Weight.

To be successful at losing weight, you need to change your lifestyle and not just go on a diet. This requires cutting back on the number of calories you eat by eating smaller amounts of foods and choosing foods lower in calories. It also means being more physically active. Most health experts recommend a combination of a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight loss.

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Finding a Weight Loss Partner

When you first begin to diet it is hard to break old habits and begin forming new habits. This is where a weight loss partner comes in. Your diet partner will help keep you on track and hold you accountable for your food intake and your exercise plan.

Your diet partner will help you to stay motivated. You can plan to exercise together at a set time each day. This will keep you accountable and motivated. It is harder to give your weight loss partner a week excuse as to why you can not exercise than it is to convince yourself that you should just skip a day.

Diet partners also offer a great support system when it comes to sticking to a diet. It is easy to cheat on a diet especially if you feel you are going it alone. Your weight loss partner will help you to stay on track and listen when you do fall off the wagon.

You may also find that you end up with just a bit of competition when it comes to dieting with a partner. If you have a week where your partner has lost more weight than you or exercised more than you, you may just have to get moving and try and win next week.

Your partner will also add a bit of fun to dieting. You can work together to find fun new recipes and laugh when you goof up that new recipe. It is also a lot of fun to take a walk and tell silly jokes on the way. Set up one day each week where it is joke day and your entire exercise time is spent telling silly jokes while walking.

Friendships are built around common experience. You will find that your weight loss partner may just become your new best friend. As your lifestyle choices change so will your diet partners. It is always easier to do it with a friend.

Just remember to keep up the good work and have fun with your diet partner.

Are you tired of feeling sluggish and overweight? Now is the time to take action. Click on http://www.buydietfood.com and get started today with the new you. Look for great diet tips and ways to make dieting easier and more fun at http://www.buydietfood.com

5 Tips To Help You Lose Weight Faster, Easier And Make It More Fun

Let me share with you 5 six weight loss tips that you can start practicing in a few minutes from now...

1. Never say "It's OK, I'll burn it off tomorrow"

It's easy to fall into this trap. When you have your favorite food in front of you, it's really difficult to resist the temptation. So you end up saying, "It's ok, I'll burn it off tomorrow" and then you give in. Now this is where you're making one of the worst mistakes! That workout tomorrow rarely happens. You know it too. Trust me, refrain yourself from giving in at all costs and you'll be well on your way to achieving that desired weight loss.

2. If you're gonna commit to a plan, make sure it's a viable and realistic plan:

Many people make empty promises to themselves thinking that they'll get it done. When it comes to weight loss, they do the same, they don't think or plan out a realistic weight loss plan. When your plan is not realistic, you will fail. And when that happens, you will feel so depressed that you're just gonna give everything up. You need to think and make a commitment that's viable and you know you can stick to.

3. Do cardio exercises and burn calories

To really lose weight, you need a good balance of the right diet and the right exercises. Walk, run, jog, swim, play sports, do exercise, aerobics or weight training, dance, use exercise machinery, anything you want and anything you like. Just make sure you pick at least one. These activities help you boost your calorie burning, making it easier and faster to lose weight. Do it regularly and you body will start to burn all the fats away.

4. Rest

You must get enough rest in and maintain a relaxed state of mind. When you're in stress, either mentally or physically, your body system automatically gets into "flight or fright" condition. When that happens, it starts preserving fat for energy usage in future. Now that's not good right. Therefore, you must get a good mental and physical relaxation so that you can pursue your weight loss at ease and with success.

5. Keep the fire burning

Most people start out with fire burning in their eyes. You can always feel their determination whenever they're near. But, they'll never make it to the end unless they know how to keep the fire burning. Find things that you know will motivate you to spur on and continue the tough journey. Hey losing weight ain't the same as taking a walk down the beach, it takes hardwork and determination. Be determined and face all challenges with open arms.

There you go, 5 easy weight loss tips just for you. I hope these tips help, cheers!

Jimmy Dickens is a weight loss coach and mentor from Boston. He teaches people how to lose weight fast with a unique system he created called the "Gimme Weight Loss Now" System. If you're looking for a complete, step-by-step weight loss system that can help you lose weight fast, do visit his website and grab his system (in the form of an ebook) at http://www.gimmeweightlossnow.com

Boost Your Afternoon Energy & Lose Weight

Do you feel tired in the afternoon after lunch? Here's how to beat that slump and boost your energy and metabolism, while helping your weight loss program at the same time. So in order to have a productive afternoon, you have to set the scene in the morning.

Now after your high-protein, no-sugar, alertness-improving lunch...

Step 1 - Schedule the right tasks for after lunch

If you have the luxury, make sure that you are doing the right mental taks at the right mental time.

If your energy is naturally low after lunch (and not because you ate poorly), then use this time for correspondence (phone calls, emails). If your energy and mental alertness are high, then tackle your major projects after lunch.

Step 2 - Water & Creativity

Boost your creativity with the sound of running water. Another expert chimes in...

"There's research showing the sound of water does increase creativity. I listen to this website on my computer while I work." Stephen Holt, ACE personal traine of the year, 2003

Step 3 - Take more breaks from your desk

Day after day I see men and women that have been chained (figuratively, of course!) to their desk for 2, 5, 10, and even 20 years.

With each additional year, their postures worsen, they tighten up more and more, and they lose their mobility. Just look at ourselves, hunched over our keyboards, and clenched forward in our driver's seats. Tight. Tense. Tired.

We need to move.

So get up at regular intervals and move around. Once per hour. 1 minute is all it takes. You'll feel more energized.

And even if you are really getting the afternoon energy slumps, and you're tempted to reach for sugar, caffeine, or both, stop!

Hold off from these energy-suckers, and give some bodyweight exercises a try. A little exercise will get your blood flowing and help you with your concentration. I need this when I'm researching through journals. My favorite, of course, is the Y-squat, but the prisoner squat will also work.

Step 4 - Late Afternoon Nutrition

Keep your mind sharp by snacking on protein, healthy fats, fiber, and anti-oxidant rich berries. Some nuts, a protein shake, some berries, and a cup of Green Tea will keep you racing ahead in the mental marathon, while those that rely on caffeine and sugar will be miles behind due to mental cramping and crashing.

Step 5 - Instant Stress Relief

If you're having one of those days, or just had a bad phone call, or disastrous meeting, then use exercise and breathing exercises to bring calm to your stressed out mind and body. A great exercise to release some tension from the upper back is the "Stick up". Stand against the wall and slide your arms up and down in a "stick-up" motion. 10 reps and you'll be ready to go again.

Step 7 - Dinner

You've made it this far, so continue to stick to the plan. Make your dinner from energy-supporting foods like lean proteins, fiber-rich fruits, and nutrient-rich vegetables.

Step 8 - Quality time

This is what it is all about, isn't it? Spending quality time with your friends and family. Healthy relationships are essential to your health. Don't turn on the TV, it will just fire you up and stress you out, leading to poor sleep. Find a way to relax. Yoga and other forms of meditation might help you. Check them out.

Step 9 - Your workout

I'm mentioning this now only because I know how much variation there is among workout times between y'all.

Some exercise first thing in the AM, some at lunch, others after work, and even others still just before bed after the kids are asleep.

So while there is no best time to workout, you can be sure that there is a best frequency...and that is consistently. No matter when you train, your workouts should leave you healthier, more energized, and more productive.

Step 10 - Sleep

The quality and duration of your sleep tonight is essential to your productivity tomorrow. If you are having problems sleeping, fix them! If it is light, noise, stress, or worries, fix these as soon as possible. If you can't pin down your sleep problems to one factor, then keep a sleep journal just like you keep a training journal. This will help you identify your sleep-stealers.

Dedicated to improving your life,

CB

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Mens Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Extreme Cardio For Weight Loss

You don't have to do cardio for weight loss at all. None. Shocking, isn't it? We've been told so many times you have to cardio, aerobics, and cardio in the fat burn zone in order to burn fat. But the truth? You have to control your diet. How you burn calories for weight loss is less important.

The latest research from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, has shown that an 8-week cardio program (3 sessions per week of 40 minutes per session) did not result in any fat loss! On the other hand, the interval training group in the same study lost several pounds.

Traditional cardio is a waste of time. Inefficient, and possibly ineffective. You are much better focusing on your proper fat loss nutrition and strength and interval workouts.

And you certainly don't have to do extreme amounts of cardio. But some people end up taking their fat loss activities to extremes. Making unhealthy, ineffective, and excessive choices.

For example, one reader emailed me about the 7 hours of cardio she did per week. She wondered why she wasn't losing ANY fat. That is an extreme amount of slow and steady cardio. Something I would never advise for a fat loss program. And she still wanted to do more!

I told her absolutely not. If 7 hours per week does't work for you, why would more? With that mentality, you'll end up spending every single non-working waking minute doing cardio. What kind of life is that?

Another reader wrote in about the pitfalls of her excessively low calorie diet...

"I'm on the weight loss track again. I found I wasn't eating enough calories (1000 kcal/day). Filling up on veggies is good (and I love them), but they don't have the calories. Eating walnuts/almonds helped get me there. Eating 1500+ is where I need to stay to lose weight and keep my energy up. I've dropped about 3 pounds this week."

Inside most people, there is going to be the urge to do more, eat less, or obsess even further about food and exercise when you are trying to reach a fitness or fat loss goal.

But taking eating and working out to the extremes is more often counterproductive, and in the long-run, downright unhealthy.

And the unfortunate thing is that the reader that emailed me about her 7 hours of ineffective aerobic training, was skeptical of the strength and interval workouts, because she didn't think it contained enough cardio.

But really, how much could be enough for this woman? 7 hours wasn't getting her any results. What did she want? 10 hours?

We need to understand that cardio is not the be-all and end-all of fat loss programs. There are many ways to burn fat and calories, not just by spending 60 minutes on an elliptical machine.

All you need are 3 workouts per week of 45 minutes per session. Do 20 minutes of total body strength training followed by 20 minutes of interval training. Then spend the rest of your week staying active through fun activities and focusing on whole, natural foods for your fat loss nutrition. No more extreme cardio!

You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (HTML clickable) and references and copyright info.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training for Fat Loss have helped thousands of men and women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. Turbulence Training for Fat Loss workouts help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment. Craig's bodyweight workouts for fat loss help you lose fat without any equipment at all.

Fat Loss Myths Revealed

Wouldnt it be great to be able to eat as much as you want as often as you want and have body fat melt away while you sleep, watch TV, or sit behind your desk at work? Id certainly go for that - being able to be fit with very little or no effort at all.

Turn on the TV and what do we see? Television ads promising you weight loss and fitness with no effort. Want to lose that extra fat around your belly? Just take these pills. Walk into the bookstore and browse through the rows and rows of books advocating one diet fad or the other. The problem is that most of them offer conflicting information. Ill be straightforward in telling you that rather than separating the fat from your body, most of these people are more interested in separating your money from your wallet.

Ive tried many of these diet and exercise fads and can tell you that most of them flat out do not work. Some of the diets will work, but will force your body to do things that it was designed to not do, therefore your body thinks its deathly ill and starts burning fat as an energy source. Losing fat is not a bad thing at all, but tricking your body into burning fat by responding with a survival mechanism is. What are the long term effects of these fad diets? Who really wants to live the type of restrictive lifestyle that these diets push on you? Who really wants to work hard and suffer for something that in 20 years from now will be the laughingstock of the fitness community? There has to be a better way

The true path to fat loss is so simple, yet no diet book author would ever admit it. The secret is this:

Burn more calories than you eat.

Thats all. Theres really nothing more to it than that, and you probably already know this! There is no more effective way, no special fruit from the amazon, no machine that you can use that will give you better results.

Unfortunately there are plenty of people who would like to pull the wool over your eyes about what to eat, how to starve yourself, what machine to use to get the perfect body. Next time you reach for the next diet fad book, brochure on an ab exerciser, or pick up the phone to dial a number you got off of an infomercial, think about this - they didnt work in the past, and they wont work again because youre still not burning more calories than youre taking in.

After scouring the internet, bookstores, and trying just about any diet I could find to lose that extra 30 pounds Ill tell you whats worked for me:

Keep a food journal, tracking all of the calories that you take in. Be detailed. Youll be surprised at how much stuff you can cut out if you just write it down. Personally, I was disgusted at the amount of sugars and junk foods I was ingesting on a daily basis. I didnt eliminate them, only cut back a little.

Find out how many calories you burn in a day. You burn most of your calories just by existing. This is called basal metabolism. Find a chart to see how many calories are burned for certain activities for your weight class.

Exercise regularly. It doesnt take much, only around 20 minutes a day 3-5 days a week. Regular exercise will increase your metabolism and cause your body to burn even more calories even while youre not active.

Being fit is a lifestyle. It doesnt have to be severely limiting and it doesnt even have to be painful. Being fit is always easier in the long run than putting yourself through the ringer with limiting or starvation diets.

My search for the perfect diet and exercise program took me 8 years and ironically the one thing that worked for me was the easiest and least expensive thing out of all of the others I tried.

Jason Stewart is a fitness buff, writer, IT professional, and a father of 3. For more no-nonsense tips on fat loss, visit http://www.jmsgo.com/fatloss

Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review - Is It Just A Scam?

Chances are if you are looking to lose weight you don't want to waste your time with a program that is full of promises and then delivers very few noticeable returns. For this reason, we decided to do a mini fat loss 4 idiots review to determine whether or not it is a scam, or actually something worth investing your hard earned dollars in. In order to do this, it is important to understand what this program can and can't do. Here are some common questions related to Fat Loss 4 Idiots and it is our hope that the answers will shed some light as to whether it will be beneficial to you personally.

One of the most common questions associated with the Fat Loss 4 Idiots program is how long will I have to continue using it? If you have looked at the sales page of the product, they make promises of losing nine pounds every eleven days. While these results may not be typical, those are pretty quick numbers. The answer to the question is simply as long as it takes for you to be comfortable with your weight. One nice thing that should be noted about weight loss is your body begins to become efficient at burning fat when using a consistent program. Fat Loss 4 Idiots would be no exception.

Another frequent question regarding this diet is am I still allowed to drink coffee? In a word, yes, however I would exercise discipline in regards to this if I were you. The reason for this is that coffee isn't beneficial to weight loss other than the slight boost from caffeine. It is advised with the Fat Loss 4 Idiots program, as well as virtually all weight loss programs, to drink plenty of water. I can personally attest to this, as when I increased my water intake, my results improved greatly.

Lastly, a large majority of people are wanting to know how much weight an average person can lose over the course of six months. Unfortunately there is no tried and true answer for this because everyone is different with varying ages and metabolisms. One thing however is certain, and that is that many are experiencing pretty surprising results by going through a couple cycles on the program. As with anything in life, success is the result of consistency.

If it is my hope after reading this article that you have gained an understanding of the Fat Loss 4 Idiots review and whether or not it may be the program for you. The most important step in undergoing any diet plan is understanding its legitimacy and not buying into all the fruitless hype.

Riley James is an internet entrepreneur who specializes in personal health and vitality. His team personally reviews and analyzes popular weight loss programs on the market and gives them honest reviews. If you would like a complete honest fat loss 4 idiots review, you can visit their website at http://www.onestopmuscle.com/review-fatloss.htm.

The Hoodia Weight Loss Mechanism

Hoodia Gordinni is a popular weight-loss herbal supplement can help eliminate both types of hunger, no matter how unhealthy one feels about skipping meals. The major advantage one easily notices when taking it is that it removes the craving for more food and snacks, and gives a feeling of fullness. Most diet pills and supplements work by trying to increase the rate at which our body burns fat.

P57 In Hoodia

In the past few years, hoodia has received much publicity as an appetite suppressant. The active ingredients in it appear to work in a unique manner than other weight loss drugs. P57, a chemical in Hoodia gordonii, seems to act like glucose in the body.

Essentially, P57 works on specific areas of the brain to create a feeling of fullness. Even though little or no food has been ingested, individuals who take Hoodia gordonii or P57 usually note feeling full quickly and not getting hungry again as soon as they would ordinarily. Additionally, it seems to reduce interest in eating for about 24 hours after a dose.

Does Hoodia Interfere With Other Medications?

Hoodia gordonii is not known to impede with the effects of other prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs, herbal products, dietary pills, or food. However, due to limited clinical studies with its use, though, it may have interactions that are not yet recognized.

A person who decides to take Hoodia should be sure that a doctor or pharmacist is aware of all current medicines taken before beginning to use it. Some interactions between herbal products and medications can be more severe than others. The best way for you to avoid unsafe interactions is to tell your doctor and/or pharmacist what medications you are currently taking, including any over-the-counter products.

Standard Dosage Of Hoodia

Although no general dosage requirements for Hoodia gordonii have been made available in medical literature, clinical trials on humans used 400 mg twice a day. Other observers suggest taking no more than 800 mg of Hoodia gordonii at a time, however, the possible reasons for the limitation are not clear, although some individuals report feeling the appetite-reducing outcomes within 20 minutes to 30 minutes of taking it. However, some individuals needed to take it Hoodia gordonii regularly for several days or weeks before achieving the desired results.

The implications of hoodia gordonii with regard to repealing obesity are very remarkable. In recent laboratory studies using rats, it was noted to cause a significant reduction in calorie consumption in rats that were given hoodia gordonii extracts.

A clinical study conducted on morbidly-obese persons saw a reduction in average daily calorie intake by about 1,000 calories on the 15th day. Capsules or liquid extract are the recommended dosage forms it. It may be combined with other herbals, like green tea extract, or with minerals such as chromium.

Recently, Hoodia gordonii has been advertised and sold as an ingredient in gum, patches, and tea that claim to assist in weight reduction. It is also marketed in diet products, such as milkshakes and snack bars, however no proof is given to verify that these or any other types of Hoodia gordonii products are effective.

Hoodia Remedy - http://hoodiaremedy.com

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Quick Weight Loss!

Perhaps you've heard the joke about the SHOCKING news headlines from the year 2050: "New study reveals that exercise and proper nutrition is the key to successful weight loss!"

It seems that we're always looking for a quick and easy way to lose fat, but those darn studies and that reputable research just keeps getting in the way of our dream!

There's always someone out there telling us we can lose fat without watching our diet and without any exercise. As much as we'd like to believe that's true, deep down inside we know better. The ads promising that we can 'get slim quick' remind us of the 'get rich quick' infomercials we see on late-night television. Still, there's no shortage of 'get slim quick' products out there.....

A YaHoo search of the term "Easy Weight Loss" yielded about 10,600,000 hits.

A Google search of the phrase "Quick Weight Loss" showed about 14,300,000 recommended sites to visit!

Looking up "Easy Fat Loss" on YaHoo revealed about 4,290,000 answers.

Finally, running a Google search for "I want to lose weight but I don't want to exercise because I don't have the time, money or will power" will bring up about 633,000 sites.....we're not kidding!

Compare that to the Google results for "Weight Loss Truth": only about 2,760,000.

+ PERMANENT FAT LOSS REQUIRES EFFORT

Let's face it, there really is no good way to lose fat without any effort! Successful and permanent weight (fat) loss takes some time, it takes some effort, and it certainly requires some exercise! Consider what Dr. Gabe Mirkin had to say on the subject recently: "There are many products on the market today that promise to help you lose weight. None will help you unless they get you to exercise more and eat fewer calories." (Source: The Sportsmedicine Institute, Inc.)

+ DON'T BE TEMPTED BY SHORTCUTS

So is it possible to lose weight quickly? Sure, but weight loss achieved quickly and/or by 'cheating' will never be permanent and is usually not healthy.

Remember the phen-fen pills that were popular just a few years ago? While they certainly helped you lose weight, they were withdrawn from the market in September of 1997 after being linked to the occurrence of serious cardiac valvular disease, and primary pulmonary hypertension.

Ephedra, another weight loss pill, was pulled from shelves on April 12, 2004. After a careful review of the available evidence about the risks and benefits of ephedra in supplements, the FDA found that these supplements present an unreasonable risk of illness or injury to consumers. The data showed little evidence of ephedra's effectiveness, except for short-term weight loss, while confirming that the substance raises blood pressure and stresses the heart (Source: www.nccam.nih.gov).

Please note that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that ephedra was effective for ONLY short-term weight loss. Does that sound like a permanent solution?

There are lots of other 'shortcuts' out there, from laxatives to harsh stimulants. There are also some honestly good products that can help us lose fat IF they are used in conjunction with regular exercise and healthy nutrition. Green tea is a good example. Clinical studies conducted by Dr. Abdul Dulloo, of the University of Geneva in Switzerland brought the conclusion that green tea weight raises metabolic rates and speeds up fat oxidation.

+ THE TAKE-HOME MESSAGE

So what's the take-home message? The bottom line is that there is no 'get slim quick' miracle out there. The only way to achieve permanent fat loss by following the same advice we've been hearing for years: exercise regularly and watch what we eat!

Let's watch out for products that claim we can achieve the body we've always wanted without diet or exercise. We know that's not true, so let's not be tempted by the empty promise.

* Copyright 2005 Pick Up The Pace. Permission is not required for the distribution of Pick Up The Pace articles as long as they are used in their entirety, are properly credited to Pick Up The Pace, and are accompanied by our website link: www.letspickupthepace.com.

* The information in this article and on this site is for general reference purposes only and not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information in this article or on www.letspickupthepace.com should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women, focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com for more information.