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Let me disclose right upfront that I am not a doctor, but I have lost almost 50 pounds on medifast. A couple of months ago, I was approached by a coworker who had three pretty overweight children, who frankly were approaching being obese. After seeing my results, and noticing that I'd been able to eat snack type foods, my coworker wanted to know if medifast could work for her kids and her teenage daughter.

There's not much data available on using the medifast diet on kids or teens and I knew that children are still growing so it probably was not a good idea to severely limit or restrict their calories. But I also knew that some of this diet's foods are very carb and snack like, and I knew that she was having trouble controlling the snacks that her kids ate. In particular, the kids were very fond of junk foods and candy.

A light bulb went off in my head. I figured maybe we could start with just encouraging the kids to eat a medifast bar, pudding or shake when they reached for a junk food snack. In essence, we were trading the high sugar, high calorie candy bars and fast foods for something equivalent from the diet's offerings. Since these kids snacked several times per day, we were saving a lot of calories this way. Initially, we left their regular meals alone, just using medifast as snack substitutes. We ordered one variety package (and are getting ready to order another) and this lasted us a good while and was not much more expensive than junk food.

The kids handled this pretty well. Luckily, most of the medifast snack foods are really good, so it was not a big stretch to eat a protein bar rather than a candy bar or medifast pudding or crackers rather than chips. We always made sure we took the food out of the wrapper so they didn't have to walk around advertising they were eating diet foods.

The kids started to see some results after only a few weeks. As their enthusiasm increased even more, we decided to see if we could replace more of their daily empty calories with medifast. However, we were very careful not to restrict their calories or food choices. Basically, we added one medifast element at every meal and had them eat that in addition to and before their regular meal.

For instance for breakfast we would offer them medifast oatmeal or eggs to start. They would eat that and then if they were still hungry they could eat their regular sugary cereal breakfast if they wanted. For lunch, they'd have the diet's soup or chili before they dove into the pizza or burgers. (We'd pack this in a thermos so no one knew they were eating diet food.) And we started preparing lean and green meals for dinner. We still let them eat a bit of their regular favorite foods at dinner, but just not nearly as much.

What we hoped would happen did. The kids got filled up on medifast so they didn't eat as much of their junk and low quality foods and they continue to see really dramatic results. The teen is now able to self regulate what she eats and has cut out a lot of junk. We still don't allow them to rely solely on the diet for their calories. That may be too drastic for kids, but the teen in particular is now making really good choices with the food that she eats in addition to medifast.

I think the reason this worked is because the medifast snack foods are really tasty and kid friendly and we never restricted what the kids ate. We never told them they couldn't have anything. We just had them eat medifast first. We were adding food instead of taking it away, but by doing this, they were actually eating less bad foods because they were filling up on medifast.

I would never advocate replacing medifast for a kid or teen's entire caloric intake. However, in this case, substituting the diet's foods for junk food snacks or poor food choices has been quite effective and much easier than I thought. My coworker is very grateful and is now on medifast herself.

Lindsey Price is approaching a 50 pound weight loss on Medifast. Learn how she helped three kids lose 80 combined pounds by clicking here to view the Kids And Teens Weight Loss Website

When people look for a diet, many of them look for fast weight loss tips or a fast weight loss diet so that they can lose weight more quickly. Care should be taken however to make certain that you select a diet which is capable of meeting your physical requirements while also providing you with a method for losing weight rapidly while remaining healthy.

The sad truth of the matter is that most weight loss plans do not work for more than a few days while you restrict your diet. As often as not, your health will be the only thing that you lose for any length of time. The weight you lose will often come back as soon as you revert to your normal eating habits. While this is not true for all diets, it is especially true when it comes to rapid weight loss and fast weight loss diets.

So does that mean that this is always the case and that fast weight loss tips should be summarily ignored or dismissed? The fact is that with the proper quick weight loss tips, a little self control and some knowledge, you can lose weight, keep the weight off and stay healthy all at the same time.

Fast weight loss diets do work well as long as you are careful and pay attention to your dietary needs and other considerations regarding quick weight loss. If somebody is promising that you can lose five pounds a day there are probably going to be some unhealthy side effects. Most fast weight loss tips will allow you to lose somewhere between one and two pounds on the average day.

Most of the best and most valuable fast weight loss tips involve learning how to properly control your caloric intake by eating the right foods. Starving yourself in order to lose weight quickly is unhealthy, no matter what. Neither do you have to spend countless hours exercising and trying to burn fat in order to lose weight quickly. Healthy and fast weight loss tips and diet plans will show you how to eat properly in order to maintain your health and lose weight all at the same time.

Low calorie diets do not work for most people. A lot of the dietary supplements and diet pills have long-lasting detrimental effects on many people. If you are attempting to lose weight quickly, your health should be your primary concern. In fact, many of the quick weight loss diets do not take your personal habits into consideration at all.

Once you learn how to prepare and consume the right foods to meet your daily requirements, you can begin a healthy regimen for your diet. Learning how to eat properly is the key factor in quick weight loss diets and it should be something that you learn about more before deciding which fast action diet is going to be right for you. If you want a fast weight loss diet that works, you need to learn how to eat properly and once you can accomplish that, you can easily accomplish all of your weight loss goals.

Want to learn more about fast weight loss? Click How To Lose Weight for a weight loss plan that will get you on track to reach your goals.

Michael Maciejewski is a fitness, and nutrition expert. Revealing the truths about healthy living, one article at a time.

Nope! Surprisingly, there are healthy fatty foods that you can eat...

And I know all about the confusing information out there -- it just drives me nuts. Tons of people say no this, no that and the real truth of the matter is you don't know what their actual agenda is...

So today, I am going to ask you to open up your mind because some of what I say is going to be contrary to the politically correct media and nutritional advice that is being dispense...

And yeah, many of the advice is being dispensed by doctors, so-called health experts and the granddaddy of them all -- the mass media.

The way I figure it out is all the usual suspects above treat everyone like you and me like mushrooms. Shovel manure over us and keep us in the dark with confusing and conflicting information.

To start with, we absolutely NEED healthy fats in our daily diet! It is so vitally important to our overall health. Did you know that fats are critically needed for all the cell membranes in our body? However, if you eat the processed foods that contains chemically altered fats -- guess what? Your cells ain't gonna be happy...

It means your cellular functions won't work right. It means your body has to work harder to find the right fats to repair and maintain the cells. It means you have greater risk of degenerative diseases.

You need healthy fats for creating energy, for breaking down vitamins and minerals. And so on and on...

In short, FATS are absolutely, critically needed for a lots of important functions in your body -- and if you listen the one of the most dangerous advice you hear from all those so-called health experts listed above... about following a restricted fat diet or even a no-fat diet...

Don't do it! You are putting yourself in great danger! It is one of the most unbelievable piece of garbage information about health that I have ever heard!

And if you think about it, or even followed that advice for a period of time... did you lose your body fat? I'm guessing no.

And no wonder... fat is also critical to digesting your food intake. You NEED healthy fats to lose body fat, to become lean and healthy. To be disease-free.

So don't fall for that clap trap. It is utter nonsense and I think the whole reasoning behind that is the hysteria that if you have excess body fat, restricting your fat intake will force your body to use up the internal fat. That simply isn't true.

Let's use some hard, cold facts. There is a researcher by the name of Dr. Mary Enig who is a P.H.D., and one of the leading experts on fats -- she said that there is very little scientific evidence supporting the theory that high fat diets is bad for us.

Let's use a real world example. Hundreds of years ago... the Pacific Islanders had a typical diet of mostly coconuts. As you know, Coconuts is saturated fats. And in spite of getting 75% to 66% of their total daily calories in Coconuts, these Pacific Islanders enjoyed a very healthy life -- free from heart diseases and obesity.

But modern Pacific Islanders eat typical western diets that are unhealthy and many of them are obese or fat... but that is another story for another time.

My point is, even if you eat a diet that is mostly saturated fats -- you would be healthier than anyone who followed a no-fat diet.

Another example would be the traditional diets of Eskimos. Their diet has the same proportion of fat as the Pacific Islanders did because they ate whale blubber, seal fat, and cold water fish. And Eskimos were famous for health and longevity!

I can also point to tribes in Africa -- the Masai tribes and Samburu tribes -- they ate a diet of whole milk, blood and meet. These folks enjoyed low body fat.

And don't forget about the Mediterranean diets which is very high in fats from Olive oil?

And then you can compare all the groups mentioned above with the North Americans -- a lot of them eat unhealthy western diets with little or unhealthy fats.

And guess which group is overweight and obese?

I think it is pretty clear from the evidence I pointed out above that many of the so-called experts who promote no-fat or low -fat diets don't know what they are talking about...

In fact, they say if you repeat it often enough... it must be true.

But we aren't sheep and we are much smarter then them... So we are going to look at the list of healthy fat choices that you can incorporate into your diet:

Coconut fat. Although it is 92% saturated fats, it is one of the healthiest natural fats you can consume. It is also an excellent cooking oil because saturated fats are more stable and don't oxidize as easily as the unsaturated fats do. Which can create free-radicals which can damage your body. Good sources of coconut fat is coconut milk, coconut oil or fresh coconuts.

My favorite source of oil -- extra virgin olive oil! It contains 16% saturated oils and 71% unsaturated oils. Extra virgin olive oil is from the first pressing of the olives and has a higher percentage of free-radical fights -- antioxidants. Unlike a lot of the other cooking oils, industrial solvents weren't used to extract the extra virgin olive oils. So it is much healthier for us!

Chocolate! More specifically, bittersweet chocolate which contains over 70% cocoa fats. It has lots of antioxidants and the cocoa butter contains about 59% saturated fats. This is important -- even though some folks prefer milk chocolates -- that chocolate isn't as beneficial as the dark, bittersweet chocolates. Milk chocolate has more sugar and corn sweetener which isn't good for you.

Avocados! One of my most favorite ingredients for my scrambled eggs in the morning. Avocados on the other hand is mostly monosaturated fats but it still has 25% saturated fats. But you can use avocados in your sandwich and salads.

Fish with high fat contents. I try to stick with wild caught fish such as salmon, sardines, herring and trout. They tend to have healthier diets and are much healthier sources of fats for us. Wild caught fish is a great source of Omega 3 which is important for our diets. And I'll have to talk about that another time.

Nuts! I love 'em. I like to snack on mixed nuts and dried fruits. No peanuts though... Nuts are a great source of healthy fats plus minerals. Try to avoid any nuts that were roasted in oil. Use the ones that are either raw or dry roasted.

Seeds! Sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds. All are good but flax seeds are famous for having a high ratio of omega 3. I like to sprinkle fresh ground flax seeds in my yogurt and fruit for a well-balanced meal. And for the guys -- big health tip -- eat a handful of pumpkins (or pepitas) seeds each day. It may be beneficial to keeping away a swollen prostate.

Of course I should list the fatty foods that you should absolutely stay away from. Don't touch these with a ten foot pole!

Hydrogenated oils. These are the trans fats that you have no business putting into your body. Look at your processed food labels. If this ingredient is listed -- I suggest you toss those in the trash and never buy them again!

Deep fried foods. Come on here! Sure it tastes good but it is really, really bad for you. In fact, I would say that french fries is probably one of the worst foods you can ever eat. It is pure glucose and contains trans fat oils. And all of that goes straight to your love handles. So just say no to fried foods.

Homogenized milk and butter. Raw milk fat is great for you but the pasteurizing process ruins it. And turns milk fat into something potentially dangerous for your body. Raw milk is hard to find so I would stick with skim milk and cultured organic butter.

Now you know enough to be dangerous... so go now and eat some healthy saturated fat...

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Turbulence Training Program

There are only two things you can do to lose weight
1) Consume less calories
2) Burn more calories

Thats it! That will always be it, there is nothing that will ever change this hard and fast rule. How you go about getting one or both of these things done is where the trick is, and apparently it must be one helluva trick because almost half of the North American population cant figure it out. This is also why the fitness, functional foods, and supplement industries continue to grow with no end in sight promising all the latest weight loss fixes.

So the question becomes, which one is more important, diet or exercise? This isnt that simple of a question.

Ive heard experts say that if you eat right exercise doesnt matter, and Ive heard other so called experts say if you exercise enough diet doesnt matter.

I think the real answer is in the middle somewhere.

For example: you can lose all kinds of weight by just restricting calories and never working out at all...this isnt exactly what I would consider the healthiest way to lose weight, and research shows that most people cannot sustain this for very long and go back to eating the way they did before.

On the other hand it is difficult to workout enough to be able to completely ignore nutrition/diet when you are trying to lose weight. If for example you dont work and can spend 3-4 hours exercising each day, then you would be able to lose weight and have a pretty care free diet. Again, this may not be the healthiest way either and certainly isnt practical as most people cannot workout for 3-4 hours every day.

So considering these points I would say both diet and exercising are essential to creating and maintaining your best possible shape! Learning how to do both effectively gives you some wiggle room when you slack off on one or the other.

For example: Lets say you have a solid workout routine going, and youve been hitting the gym 3-4 times per week consistently for a period of months. You can probably get away with a couple of days of eating all kinds of naughty stuff. Because of your consistent workouts the negative effects of your eating adventures will be minimized.

Similarly, consistent moderate food intake allows you to miss a few days in the gym here and there without putting on all kinds of weight.

Both diet and exercise play a role in weight loss, the degree to which varies from person to person. People who workout more often will have a greater benefit than people who workout less often or not at all. People who eat moderately with less high calorie days, will see greater weight loss than people who have more high calorie days. In the end it all comes back to consuming less calories than you burn off.

John Barban is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a varsity strength and conditioning coach as well as a successful entrepreneur. John has trained with world class level powerlifting teams and athletes at the professional level. Most recently he has specialized in training female varsity athletes, specifically women's ice hockey players. John has his masters in nutritional science and human physiology from the University of Guelph, and further graduate work at the University of Florida where he taught principles of strength training and conditioning in the department of health and human performance. John also has extensive experience developing and formulating nutritional sports supplements. John write for http://www.grrlathlete.com and http://www.womensworkout.blogspot.com

These Top 10 weight Loss Facts are positively clear about what works and what does not:

1. Like a savings account If you take in more energy than your body needs, through the foods you eat and drink, your body stores the extra calories as fat, adds some interest and you put on weight. If you use up more energy than you take in, you burn off the extra amounts and you lose weight.

2. It is very clear then that reducing your food intake is surely the best way to lose weight.

3. Exercise is considered to be very good for you, however, it takes a lot of exercise to lose even a small amount of weight. As you tone your body, body-fat reduces and muscle volume increases. Now although this may be better for your health, it can seem bad for your weight. Muscle weighs more than fat so your weight may go up! The greatest problem with this is: your appetite often increases after exercise, so you eat more and wipe out the benefits of the exercise.

4. You should not think of yourself as being greedy; what you need to accept is that you may have to change your eating habits. All too often there is no time to eat sensibly and as a result eat too little at one meal and too much at another. Try not to miss the most important meal of the day - breakfast - and then you should eat at regular intervals throughout the day with less in the evening so your body can have time to process your food before you go to bed.

5. Diets with contradictory features appear regularly so don't assume that the latest one is the one that will work for you. What may work for one will not work for another; if you are serious about weight loss, just follow this simple outline.

6. Cut out as many fatty, high calorie foods as you are able and remove visible fat from fresh meat.

7. When cooking, it's better to grill (broil), steam or poach rather than frying; if you must fry, then use a thin spray of oil or stir-fry very quickly.

8. Some fats are essential in your diet, and some are difficult to avoid, such as spreads or salad dressings, so only use the smallest possible amount of the "light", "low-fat" or "fat-free" brands but check the labels to see whether they remain low-calorie; other things are often added to make them taste better!

9. Whenever you sit down to a meal, try to reduce the size of your normal portion by at least one-third; so instead of having three of anything except fresh vegetables or fruit, go down to two.

10. Because protein is digested more slowly than carbohydrate, it tends to make you feel fuller for longer, so when cutting your portions back you may find that you feel more satisfied if you cut out some carbohydrate rather than protein.

Peter Fisher is an expert Author and Publisher of Your Weight Loss Help. For more information and weight loss resources any time you need help visit his site at http://www.your-weight-loss-help.com or The Beginners Guide to Losing weight.

This week the media claimed, "A calorie is a calorie". They were citing a new study, which found that burning a calorie through exercise or removing it from your diet is equal for losing fat. The study was somewhat controversial because it has long been accepted that combining exercise with dieting makes it easier to lose weight.

Exercise increases your body's sensitivity to its own insulin and that makes it easier to lose fat, especially around the mid-section. However, the new study said it didn't make any difference. They concluded that it is not possible to lose weight from target' areas and that your genes dictate where your weight loss comes from. I see several problems with their arguments.

Is a calorie a calorie?

First, the new study only looked at a small number of people and that makes it difficult to make general assumptions. Second, the study only used a very strict diet, making it difficult to generalize for many types of foods. Third, the study only employed cardiovascular exercise and not weight training, which has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity. So, although the experiment told us something about how exercise burns calories, the conclusions went a little too far.

Finally, the media's interpretation of the study was misleading as well. In stating that a calorie is a calorie' the media suggests that it doesn't matter what kinds of food you eat, but that it is really the total calorie content that matters. This is not what the study concluded at all. The researchers were simply comparing reducing calories in the diet to burning them through exercise. They made no conclusions about which sources of calories were better than others.

This is just another example of the media exaggerating the results. No wonder people are so confused about health advice. The media's constant misinterpretation of the data makes people think that researchers are always changing their minds on health issues.

It's all about Balance

Maintaining health is really not that hard. Many of us over-think the problem. Using a common sense, maintaining a diet balanced in fats, carbohydrates and proteins, taking a quality multivitamin and getting some exercise goes a long way.

Balance is a critical issue in any dietary change. Fad diets that tout low-carb or low-fat are very short sited. Most people are surprised to hear that the brain is 60% fat! And several types of fat needed for brain function must come from the diet meaning the body can't make them. What this means is that trying to remove too much fat, especially polyunsaturated fat, from the diet can actually starve the brain.

When is fat good?

In fact, a report that came out of Sweden this week showed that some kids were overweight because they didn't get enough of the right kind of fat. The Swedish researchers found that kids who didn't eat enough poly-unsaturated fat, mostly omega-3 fats, actually had a higher chance of being overweight.

The brain is also an energy hog. It uses about 10% of the energy you eat even though it only accounts for about 2% of total body mass. Where does most of our energy come from? - carbohydrates and fat. A balanced diet is about 15% fat, 60% carbohydrate and 25% protein. Athletes may need a little more carbohydrate for endurance or protein for strength.

So please don't subscribe to fad diets that tell you to cut out all the fat or carbohydrates from your diet. They're not good for your body and they're not good for your brain.

Copyright (c) 2007 The Brain Code LLC

Boost your Family's Brain Fitness in 30 days with Natural Strategies used by an Expert Brain Scientist and Sports Coach. Learn how at http://www.thebraincode.com

Recently you might have noticed that there is a seemingly endless amount of products announced on TV and magazines that claim to be the best method when aiming to lose a few pounds. There are advertisements regarding diets, creams, exercising machines, even hypnosis and suggestion; however there is one method to do this that has not been advertised that much, and that many people claim to be the most outstanding and effective weight loss procedure, acupuncture. But, how much is true about whats being said about this method? Is it true that weight loss through acupuncture is really the best method available today?

Acupuncture is by no means a recent discovery; it is actually a technique that has been around for centuries. In the past, acupuncture was used in several different healing procedures, and it is one of the only methods that has endured the passage of time, and one that continues to prove its efficiency throughout the world. The acupuncture method consist in placing needles strategically in different parts of the human body in order to stimulate certain nerves that will balance the body energy, and therefore alleviate different illnesses, both physical and mental. When talking about weight loss, acupuncture helps the patient by allowing him or her to burn calories faster; weight loss through acupuncture is great, because it provides the necessary energy to perform different exercise routines and it also accelerates the metabolism of the patient, which allows him or her to dispose the excessive amount of body fat in a very short period of time.

One of the most attractive issues regarding weight loss through acupuncture is that this method works even if you are not really exercising your body. Given the fact that acupuncture accelerates your blood circulation, you will be burning fat even by sitting idly on your couch just watching your favorite TV show. However, weight loss through acupuncture requires discipline as well as any other method, you will have to endure the placing of needles throughout your body for at least 2 times a week.

If you combine your weight loss through acupuncture process with a healthy diet and frequent exercise routines, it may take no longer than 6 months to reach your desired weight goal, which is, by far, one of the lowest amount of times available today. If you are planning to turn to acupuncture alone when trying to lose some weight, then you will have to be very patient, because weight loss through acupuncture alone may not be as fast as you wish.

This article can be freely published on a website as long as it's not modified in any way including the author bylines, plus all the hyperlinks must be made active just like below.

Jean Lam is a writer, author, publisher and owns several sites. Visit his weight loss obesity website for lots of articles about losing weight. Also check out the weight loss eBook that will give you tips for your weight loss problems.

There are many weight loss programs coming up on internet these days. Some of them are good while some can be a total waste of time. In this article I will provide review of 2 such online weight loss resources.

1. FitDay:

FitDay is one online weight loss programme which can allow you to track your diet and activities.

In order to succeed with your weight loss plan, you need to monitor your progress and pay special attention to diet and exercise regime. This is where Fitday program can help you - its an easy tool to monitor your weight loss program progress.

It is like an online journal. It also has a PC version which has advanced reporting and enhanced user interaction than the online version.

With Fitday, you can track your foods, exercises, weight loss and goals. Here is a short list of features provided by Fitday:

You can signup for a free online account at the site or download a PC software which has some additional features. However the software is not free and costs around $30.

2. BurntheFat:

Another good online weight loss plan is that of Tom Venuto. It is not exactly a training program, rather it is a hefty ebook manual consisting of 337 pages. Tom Venuto has been in bodybuilding since 1983 and competing since 1989. He has been training people in fitness since he was 20 years old.

Tom has worked as a personal trainer in various health clubs and still works as a consultant. He started his fat loss program on the internet in 1999. He as written and published a book on internet titled "Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle" which contains a lot of facts about fat loss. It works for both men and women.

You can download a free report where Tom Venuto is interviewed by journalist Nicoli on Dateline NBC's "Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge". You can get this free report here - Body builders fat loss diet

Simple diet changes can drastically improve your energy levels throughout the day. Find out how 3 simple diet changes can increase energy

Everyone I know wants to lose weight fast. We live in that kind of instant-on society. We want instant gratification. Give me results and give 'em to me right now!

Show me how I can lose 10 pounds in 10 days and look awesome over the holidays!

And that's not all bad... is it? Or do I lack moral fiber?

It seems to me that if I can have something now, rather that wait 6 months or whatever... then I prefer to have it now. No delayed gratification for this puppy if I can avoid it.

And that usually applies to weight loss too!

I think there are two reasons that we want fast results from a weight loss program:

First, as I said above, we just want to see some results.

But secondly, and I think much more importantly, our experience of dieting is that it's cruel and inhuman suffering. So we just want to get on that diet, suffer for a couple of weeks, blow off some pounds and get rid of the suffering and struggle.

And therein lies the whole problem with diets... we don't plan on making them a lifetime, lifestyle change. They're just a band aid solution to a chronic overweight condition, which just seems to balloon the older we get.

I want to introduce you to another approach to the whole universe of weight loss. What if we were to look at a program of eating that would contain delicious, nutritious foods, take off the weight quite quickly, alleviate the symptoms of diabetes and keep us all healthy for life?

Would that interest you?

You see the process of changing from one way of eating to another involves some transition time while we get used to the new foods and learn to really like them. Think about it... do you still eat the same foods as you did 10 or 20 years ago? Probably not! Yet you like what you're eating now.

It's just like salt on our food... if we have high blood pressure and start on a program of gradually reducing salt (which I've done), we begin to like less salty food and actually find the levels of salt we used to eat are now distasteful.

The little told secret is to make this transition in such a way as to never feel hungry while you're doing it.

I can show you how to get this process started in just 5 days! You'll lose 5 pounds in 5 days or 10 pounds in 10 days and you won't be hungry!

I have recently written a book entitled "Lose Weight - Never Go Hungry" which lays out a plan for overcoming Carbohydrate addiction and losing weight.

You can download it FREE here: "Lose Weight - Never Go Hungry"

Its the little things that matter when you are trying to lose weight. Most diets require a person to make extreme changes in their lifestyles. This is why people fail. However, you can make some adjustments in your life that will help you to lose weight in a healthy and easy fashion by following a couple of the following tips.

1. Keep track of your beverage consumption. The calories from what you drink add up. A full sugar can of cola has close to 200 calories in it. If you multiply that 200 calories by 30 (days in a month) then you have 6000 calories that month just from drinking one can of cola a day. When you exceed your bodies needs for calories beyond 3500 calories, you gain a pound. Conversely, if you consume 3500 less calories, you lose a pound. This means that you can lose close to 2 pounds every month by leaving that can of cola out of your diet. The same holds true for other soft drinks.

2. Get moving every day: You dont have to engage in a formal exercise program to fit exercise into your life.
-Try to walk as often as possible. Bring your lunch to work and go for a walk at a park, mall or shopping center during your break.
-Always take the stairs, even if you take them for just a few floors.
-If you are in a waiting room and have a long wait, get up and walk around.
-Get up and move while you watch television. Get up during every commercial and jog or skip in place or do a couple of abdominal exercises.
Remember that your body continues to burn calories for a few after you stop exercising.

3. Program yourself to lose weight. You need to engage the power of your mind to help you to lose weight. Consider the priority that food has in your life and to shift that. Try to visualize your body losing weight. When you wake up in the morning, affirm that you are going to integrate some healthy habits into your day.

Remember, there are a number of small changes that you can make in your life to lose weight. With a couple of easy adjustments, you may lose up to 20 to 30 lbs. a year.

Renee Feldman MA, is the founder of http://www.reducecellulitenow.com and other Popular Free Tip Courses that are helping people worldwide to achieve their health, fitness and wellness goals. Renee is an Exercise Physiologist and Certified Personal Trainer. One of the first personal trainers in the United States, Renee is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine which is the Gold Standard in fitness. Her vast experience ranges from competitive bodybuilding, where she won state wide championships to professional dancing. She has used her education and experience working in Corporate Fitness Centers, Health Clubs, Y.M.C.A.'s and J.C.C.'s. Renee has an incredibly well developed and diverse background in Meditation and Guided Visualization which she has used to coach her clients for the last 12 years. She also lectures and presents information on fitness, wellness and the mind/body connection. She successfully demonstrated her cellulite reduction methods on television.

We find ourselves living in a world of unhealthy foods today. Everything is much bigger portions and loaded with extremely high amounts of fat. Most of us don't have the time or money to really eat as healthy as we should and often find ourselves grabbing that quick burger or chicken combo from the local fast food joint. A definite way to gain extra pounds and create a host of health problems. Unfortunately, by the time we realize whats happened, it's just too late. We have already gained that extra weight and getting it off is a whole lots easier than putting it on.

As we get older, this problem of getting the extra pounds off is increasingly harder and harder. It can sometimes take several years to do so. Depending greatly on our methods of weight loss. We have to implement certain strategies and practices in our daily routines to accomplish this and keep the weight off. Keeping it off is usually a lot easier than getting it off or even getting started on a plan of exercise and changing our ways of eating. There are many, many diet plans and exercise regiments that aid us in both losing the weight and keeping the weight off out there today. But picking one that works and fits your lifestyle can be as hard as the original goal of losing the pounds. None of this is easy. There is help though.

Careful and close attention should be taken when thinking of starting any plan to lose weight. But, lots of patience and persistence also have to be in effect for you to be successful. It will never be easy to lose weight but as with many things in life, easy is not always the most rewarding.

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In the multi million pound diet industry, the South Beach is one of the latest best sellers. This means it's worthy of examination, because many people will go out and buy it on the hype and publicity rather than a real understanding, so let's take a look...

The first thing to note about the South Beach diet by Arthur Agatston is that it claims in its' title to give you foolproof plan for fast and healthy weight loss - well that's a concern for a start, because healthy weight loss is not fast, the two don't go together.

It also claims not to be just another low carb diet, but the whole initial weight loss is based on, yep you guessed it, low carbs! The argument is put forward about how carbs effect blood sugar levels, but not only is this debatable, the initial weight loss will come about from simple calorie reduction, whatever the effect of carbs.

Of course what happens to initial weight loss once that low carb period ends? It goes right back again of course, as it was mostly water loss. A waste of time.

As for the longer term plan, although the diet says you won't have to worry about feeling hungry or portion size, it then goes on to repeatedly mention portion size - so which is right?

It's not a great plan, the South Beach, it really isn't.

Cutting out carbs will see a big reduction in calories, which will see an initial weight loss, yes. They are facts you don't have to get this book to know. You'll also know that this isn't something that's sustainable, which is the sign of a good diet.

There are plenty of worse books out there, but if you never buy the South Beach, you won't be missing out on a life changer that's for sure.

Would I call it total rubbish? Well in my view, the fundamentals are wrong, the science is debatable and studies are not referenced in the book, so my view would be to keep your money, and pass on the South Beach diet.

Gordon Bryan is a life coach who gets annoyed by debatable diets. Find out his diet view at: http://dietfactnotfiction.blogspot.com

There are various forms of aerobic exercises which are considered beneficial in aiding weight loss. In fact not only are the beneficial in weight loss, at the same time they help to preserve this weight loss for a long period of time. They are also very significant in providing strength and stamina to the body.

The term 'aerobic' means 'with oxygen' and aerobic exercises are mainly concerned with the process of energy generation within the muscles of the body which is done with the usage of oxygen. It has been proved beyond doubt that aerobic exercises if adopted on a long term basis are extremely useful in facilitating weight loss. During aerobic exercising it is possible to lose weight as the glycogen within the body is broken down into glucose and in its absence the metabolism of fats is facilitated leading to weight loss.

Swimming is a form of aerobic exercise and it is not only a wonderful activity during the summer months but at the same time it is equally beneficial in aiding weight loss. Swimming aids in preserving a well toned body and while it is a good way to beat the heat during the scorching summer months, it is also to be mentioned here that the effects of swimming provide a dual purpose.

The act of swimming provides the benefits obtained form weight training and strength training as well the cardio benefits that can be obtained form running. Therefore it goes to prove how efficiently swimming can aid in losing weight. There are various other ways by which swimming can facilitate weight loss. It is known that obesity is detrimental to health and makes one susceptible to heart ailments, diabetes and cancer. Swimming greatly aids in the proper functioning of the lungs and the heart. Since most individuals enjoy this form of exercise, they are more often unaware of the fact that swimming is a rigorous form of exercise and increases an individual's workout level considerably. This in its turn therefore initiates weight loss.

Swimming offers a plethora of benefits to obese people. It is known that an individual's weight in water is about 1/10 th of his actual weight as measured on land. Therefore for obese individuals who find it difficult to carry out physical exercises on land, it is a more viable option as it makes it easier for them to carry their body weight. At the same time, it aids weight loss.

Many weight loss diets fail from lack of discipline.

Once a week, indulge in a high-calorie-tasting, but low-calorie, treat. This should help keep you from feeling deprived and binging on higher-calorie foods.

Treat high-calorie foods as jewels in the crown. Make a spoonful of ice cream the jewel and a bowl of fruit the crown. Cut down on the chips by pairing each bite with lots of chunky, filling fresh salsa

After breakfast, make water your primary drink. At breakfast, go ahead and drink orange juice. But throughout the rest of the day, focus on water instead of juice or soda.

Carry a palm-size notebook everywhere you go for one week. Write down every single morsel that enters your lips -- even water. Studies have found that people who maintain food diaries wind up eating about 15 percent less food than those who don't.

Eat five or six small meals or snacks a day instead of three large meals. A 1999 South African study found that when men ate parts of their morning meal at intervals over five hours, they consumed almost 30 percent fewer calories at lunch than when they ate a single breakfast. Other studies show that even if you eat the same number of calories distributed this way, your body releases less insulin, which keeps blood sugar steady and helps control hunger.

Downsize your dinner plates. Studies find that the less food put in front of you, the less food you'll eat. Conversely, the more food in front of you, the more you'll eat.

If you follow these simple weight loss tips you should start to lose weight.

For more tips on how to lose weight check out http://www.squidoo.com/helpwithweightloss

Surprisingly, hair loss is one of the reasons female pre-operative patients sit on the fence before deciding to have gastric bypass surgery. Obese people, particularly obese women, often have lush gorgeous hair. Of course they do its well fed and nourished! How many of us have been described as the woman with beautiful hair and a pretty face? What person in their right mind would give up one of their beautiful features?

Hair loss usually occurs in the fourth of fifth month following weight loss surgery. During the phase of rapid weight loss, caloric intake is marginal. This puts the body in a state of panic called starvation. Think about the pictures of prisoners of war. Most victims of this atrocity are without hair because they are literally starving to death. A healthy body normally sheds ten percent of hair follicles at any given time. When a body is starving roughly thirty to forty percent of hair follicles are sacrificed as the body channels nutrition to more vital areas. During this phase hair loss is dramatic, often patients find clumps of hair on the shower floor. Remaining hair becomes drab and lifeless.

I knew hair loss was a potential result of weight loss surgery, but because Im a cup-half-full person, I didnt believe that hair loss would happen to me! That just happens to other people, I told myself! Imagine my surprise when my blonde locks were littering the bathroom floor like hair saloon. I shed some tears over that.

The hair loss is a transient effect of your gastric bypass surgery and will be resolved when nutrition and weight stabilize. When my hair began falling out, my husband, who has been a proponent of vitamin supplements all his life, found a vitamin specifically formulated for building strong healthy hair. The vitamin I take for healthy hair and nails is Silica Complex by Puritans Pride. It contains calcium, magnesium, zinc, boron, betaine and horsetail extract. Consumption of this supplement almost immediately retarded my hair loss and renewed my dull lifeless hair. I will continue taking this supplement throughout my life. Three years after surgery my hair is long, full and lustrous one would never know I had suffered significant hair loss. In hindsight, I would certainly begin taking this supplement prior to my surgery. In the very least I would begin taking it soon after surgery before the signs of hair loss were apparent.

Copyright 2005 Kaye Bailey - All Rights Reserved.

Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.blogspot.com - Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often.

Would you believe me if I said the fastest weight loss method available actually involves eating more food? Of course you wouldn't, but amazingly this isn't a joke or a scam. So what is this diet that sounds too good to be true.

The diet in question is called calorie shifting and yes it really does work by eating more. Calorie shifting works by increasing your metabolism to work at a higher rate which brings on faster weight loss.

It does this by mixing up the foods you eat and the calories you in take each day. This stops the body from figuring out any sort of routine and sensing you are on a diet. Thanks to the confusion it causes your body will actually burn calories faster.

You eat 4 meals a day on the program and the only thing you really need to make sure of is that each of the meals consist of different calorie amounts and you will soon see results. A menu generator can also be attained for those that want an extra level of help with an eating plan.

By eating 4 meals a day or more if you like you will keep the metabolism working constantly throughout the day meaning calories are being burned all day. This is why eating more really can help you to lose weight.

Calorie shifting diet users tend to report losses of between 8 to 15 pounds in the first 2 week and since the diet works on a continuous cycle the results will keep coming for as long as you use the diet.

You can get more information about the calorie shifting diet if you visit here.

No one wants belly fat, but you can easily get rid of it with the right type of workout. Of course, you know that belly fat is the worst type of fat to have for both health and appearance. All you need to do is increase the intensity of your cardio to burn fat faster and your belly fat will disappear quickly.

You probably think, no way is it easy to get rid of belly fat. I've been trying for months with my cardio program and low-calorie diet, and I'm not getting results.

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised!

You see, slow cardio is over-rated for fat burning. You need to forget about calories burned during a workout and focus on post-exercise metabolism.

We just don't have 6-8 hours per week for exercise, nor do we need it. If you're a triathlete, you might need that, but not someone that just wants to lose fat and gain muscle.

Having said all that, the bottom line for getting a better body is...

Strength training followed by interval training. You should use bodyweight exercises for a warmup, then pick 2-4 strength exercises to work your total body, and then do a short interval cardio session - no need for bodybuilding programs or marathon cardio training.

Compare that to what most people do, which is run, jog, cycle or use the cardio machines for 45 minutes straight. Sure, that will burn calories, but it doesn't build a better body. It might even leave you hurt!

So if you want to burn belly fat fast, drop the slow cardio and try interval training. Use strength training to sculpt your body and boost your metabolism. You'll be shocked at the results from this new way of training to burn fat and lose that belly!

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 belly fat burning fat loss workouts have helped thousands of men and women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. His calorie burning workouts help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment. Craig's home bodyweight workouts help you lose fat without any equipment at all.

Whether you have someone that you really want to impress, or you have some event that you really want to look great for, there is a good chance that you will realize that it will take only a small amount of weight loss to make a really big difference! But how to lose 15 pounds fast ? For many people who lose weight, they lose the same 15 pounds again and again; this doesn't mean that they are living any healthier, it only means that they are in a cycle where their weight will yo-yo. If you are looking to lose 15 pounds fast, and to keep it off, there are a few things that you should keep in mind.

First, when you are hoping to lose15 pounds fast, you should make yourself comfortable with the fact that it is unsafe and indeed unwise to lose more than two pounds a week. In addition, remember those two pounds are a maximum, not an average. You'll find that by doing this, you can keep your weight loss regular and more importantly, permanent! Be aware that no matter how fast you want to lose that irritating fat that if you are looking to lose 15 pounds fast that should take about eight weeks, at the very least.

When you are looking to lose 15 pounds fast, one of the first things that you should remember is that you do not want to cut back on your water. Far too many people hear about the fact that they are packing on 5 pounds of water weight and think that they can lose five pounds fast by cutting it off. The thing is, you need that water. Your body needs water to function, and the more that you make your body think that you are in a drought situation, the more you will retain water. Instead, make sure that you get the requisite eight glasses a day; this helps your body break down food more efficiently and make your skin and hair look great besides!

When you are thinking about how to lose 15 pounds fast, do not put yourself on a diet where you starve yourself. When you starve yourself, you'll find that your body will hold on even harder to the food that it has, resulting in weight loss that even slower. Essentially, one thing that a good diet will do for you is one that will charge up your metabolism and get it going. You'll find that a good diet to help you lose 15 pounds fast is one that will leave you bursting with energy; you may even find yourself eating more often when you are on a good diet, even if the foods that you snack on are very healthy for you

Remember that a good diet, no matter what it is trying to do, will not make you miserable. Being on a diet, whether you are looking to lose 15 pounds fast or just to institute a healthier way of eating is something that should make you feel better and more energetic, so when you are looking to lose weight, keep in mind that you should be happy even when you are doing so, not just when you have reached your goal!

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Ok so over the past few years, give or take a few, I have packed on some extra pounds. Ok how about 50 extra pounds. With a lack of exercise and good eating habits, it really doesn't come as a surprise.

However with a 7 month old son now, I feel I owe it to him to get in great shape. Otherwise I might not be able to catch him once he starts walking.

I actually started yesterday, but thought it would be a good idea to share my progress with the Internet crowd with this blog. Let me first say, I am not a personal trainer, salesman of any health related products or anything like that. Just an average person who is trying to lose 50 pounds and is willing to share it with you.

My goal is to lose 50 pounds by December 31st, 2008. That gives me roughly 54 weeks to make it happen. In turn using this information I need to lose 0.93 pounds each and every week. Sounds like a reasonable goal and very achievable. The hard part is, can I stay on it? Can I stay on a daily regiment of eating right and exercising for that long?

The way I look at it, I really don't have a choice. I have to. For the sake of my son and family and my own health, it needs to be done.

Over the past few weeks I have been reading a number of health magazines and books, to get up to date on eating right and proper exercising.

I will post my progress everyday on here for the previous days activities.

Also as I come across something interesting that I feel I should share, such as a healthy recipe or good exercise, I will write about it here and let you know of the source as to where I obtained the information. I will not post something that I don't try first. It is just not fair to anyone who reads this. How can I endorse something if I don't even try it?

I am still new to the "blogging thing", so I will try and post pictures whenever possible to show everyone my progress. Along with posting pictures I will post a daily account of what I ate for each meal. Feel free to comment, good or bad (I can take criticism) on anything that you read. However don't post anything in the comments if you are trying to sell something. I will delete it. This is not a commercial blog for your financial gain. It is a blog to share with others a real life experience of losing weight.

Regards,
Mike P.

Day 1 - Weight: 275 pounds

NUTRITION
Meal 1: 3 egg whites, 1 whole egg
Meal 2: 1 packet of tuna
Meal 3: Spinach and lettuce mix with cut up baked chicken tenderloin and a small Gordon's salmon patty.
Meal 4: A small Gordon's Salmon patty
Meal 5: 2 1/2 whole eggs

EXERCISE
Walked the dog in the early morning for about a half hour. Wasn't a steady even paced walk as the dog needs to, you know, stop and do his thing.

NOTES
First day was tough in the sense of eating every 2 to 3 hours. I haven't done that in years, but it was a lot tougher late at night, while I am sitting there watching the football game. I was used to eating chips and other bad foods. It is a bad habit I am sure will really challenge my will power.

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 routine fitness and nutrition program on his way to losing 50 pounds by December 31st, 2008.