Monday, March 26, 2007

Why Do All Diets Fail?

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Why Do All Diets Fail?


There's a dirty little secret in the diet industry. The sellers of weight loss programs won't admit it, but no weight loss plan works for everyone. In fact, all diets fail MOST OF THE TIME!

Don't we all have a friend who can eat and eat without gaining a pound? Clearly, we're not all the same, so if you try a weight loss plan that "works for everyone," and still can't lose weight, don't get discouraged. Get a new plan - one that works for you.

You are unique, both in your personality and your body.That's why diets fail when they aren't right for you. To lose weight and keep it off, you need to find a weight loss plan that suits your unique personality and body.

Maybe you just can't eat enough meat and fat to stick to a low carb diet. Perhaps you aren't able to exercise much, due to some disability. Will the diet you are looking into give you enough pleasure at mealtime? Look at many weight loss programs, ideas and diets, and when you find one that is suited to you, get motivated.

Motivate Yourself To Lose Weight

Imagine yourself at your ideal weight. Perhaps you'll feel better, or look better. Maybe you don't care about the admiring glances you'll get, and you just want to be healthier.

You know what's important to you. If you like the idea of people looking at your thinner body, then imagine that happening. Use your imagination to motivate yourself, and you'll be more likely to stick with any weight loss plan.

Do you ever feel motivated by a book or article on the latest diet or weight loss theory, only to lose your motivation as time goes by? None of us can stay permanently motivated by a book or article, so sign up for a weight loss newsletter. The advantage of a newsletter, is that it regularly re-motivates you.

Find the right weight loss plan, get motivated, and you will lose weight.

Steve Gillman writes on many self-improvement topics. You can get more weight loss tips, and subscribe to a free weight loss newsletter at: http://www.99WaysToLoseWeight.com

Related Links:

How Safe Is the Atkins Diet?

The Non-Diet Diet

Low Carb Recipes Actually Taste Great!

Nutrition Is More Than The Nutrition Facts Box

Why Diets DONT Work

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Why Diets DONT Work


One of the biggest scams ever successfully pulled on the American public is - somewhat appropriately - a 4-letter word. That word is, of course, Diet. By now you have seen advertisements for more diets than you can easily remember, and have also most likely seen an article or television show debunking some of those diets. Unfortunately, the art of shooting holes through the credibility of a diet plan is normally done by ANOTHER diet company, solely for the purpose of getting you to use their product instead. Well, this article has nothing to sell, nor really anything to gain, save the knowledge that hopefully the reader - that's you - will put down the Diet Madness Menu, and get a real world point of view on why diets don't work, and what you can do about it.

Eating, the Lost Art

If you are considering a diet, or have in the past, your primary motivation was most likely to lose weight. What if I was to tell you that in order to lose weight, you actually need to eat MORE than you have in the past? You would probably shake your head at that crazy idea, and think that it was some new fad that could in no way assist you in your weight loss goals. Of course, the fact that every diet you've ever heard of was at one point "some new fad" would probably never even cross your mind. Nonetheless, the fact remains that most people do need to eat more than they presently are in order to lose weight, but the trick comes in eating the right kinds of foods, in the right ratios of nutrients, and at the right times of day. Sound tricky? Perhaps, but I assure you, it is really quite simple. However, the purpose of this article is not to inform you of the benefits of eating, but merely to let you know that eating is indeed a very effective way to lose excess bodyweight, and to explain how diets keep that from happening.

Stating the Obvious

Although most people do not think of the "latest diet" in these terms, hopefully the following question will make you consider what is pretty obvious if you stop to think about it. If the new "Last Diet You'll Ever Need" was really that good at making you melt away pounds while sitting on the couch munching "Carbo Craze Chips" or was even remotely effective at burning off your spare tire while inhaling the sweet scents of "Aerospace's Aromatic Air Baubles", then why isn't everyone already thin??

Seriously - think about it. Every time you hear about the latest diet or the most up to date exercise device that only takes 20 minutes per day, they always say that you will never need another system! The advertised system - no matter how logical or even outlandish as it may seem - is always touted at being better than ever, and the last system you will ever need. Well, if that were true, don't you think that the manufacturer of that system would not only become wealthier than anyone in history, but would also become famous as the person who FINALLY solved the obesity problem in our world? Don't you think that person could also afford to advertise their product during prime time on TV, instead of late at night? Don't you think that system would become known throughout the world - throughout history itself - as a turning point in human development?

So, I'll ask you the same question again: If the solution is already out there, why do we need to keep coming up with new solutions?? The answer is, of course, very simple - these systems don't work, and the human populace is simply looking for a non-existent quick fix to getting rid of too many late night excursions to the local burger joint, or to the fact they should have taken stock in beer while they were in college. Then what does work? Human physiology.

Metabolism

Metabolism is defined as the rate at which your body processes food. In other words, how fast your body burns calories. The faster your metabolism, the more food you can eat without gaining weight. How do you control your metabolism? By eating a nutrient-dense meal every 3 to 3 hours. This practice "stokes your internal furnace", for lack of a better analogy. Think of your body as an old-style locomotive that had coal shoveled into the combustion chamber one shovel at a time. If you didn't shovel in coal fast enough, the locomotive would slow down, and your body is no different. If you don't eat often enough, your metabolism slows down and you don't burn through calories very quickly. In addition, not only does your rate of calorie consumption go down, but your body starts storing almost everything that you do eat as bodyfat! So, in essence, every time you starve yourself in your honest effort to "stick to your diet", you are actually slowing down your metabolism as well as making your body more efficient at building padding for you to sit on at baseball games.

Muscle

"I don't care" you say. You believe that in order to lose weight you need to starve. Okay, that's wrong, but I'll explain why that thinking is flawed. Your body needs energy so you can live through any given day. The amount of energy that you need is determined by your Basal Metabolic Rate, and by your activity level for that day. For most people, this amounts to between 1,500 and 2,500 calories per day. Well, if your calorie-restricted diet doesn't allow you that many calories, your body will find a way to survive anyway. It does this by breaking down your muscle tissue and using it for energy. "So what?" you say. You don't care, as long as the scale says you are losing weight, right?

What if I told you that the ONLY place on your body that you can burn bodyfat for fuel is your muscles? What if I told you that the more muscle tissue you lose on a calorie-restricted diet, the fewer calories you can eat after the muscle loss? What if I told you that after losing 20 lbs on a calorie-restricted diet, your total bodyfat level will have dropped very little, if at all? What if I told you that by using muscle mass for energy, you have literally crippled your body's ability to burn bodyfat in the future, and that by the laws of Nature (which we can't change, by the way), you will absolutely put the weight back on, and probably gain more weight than you ever had before?

If I told you all of that, would you still want to burn muscle tissue for energy while starving yourself to stick to your diet, paying $8 a bag for Carbo Chips, and $20 a session for Aromatic Air Baubles?

On the other hand, perhaps the laws of Nature don't apply to you. In that case, be sure to tune in tonight - I believe the "Lose Weight While You Eat Butter Fried Bacon" diet is going to be featured on a new infomercial. It is, after all, The Last Diet You Will Ever Need!

Aaron Potts is the owner and creator of Fitness Destinations, a content-filled health and fitness website for consumers as well as professionals in the fitness industry. Aaron's experience in the health and fitness industry includes one on one personal training in many different environments, maintenance of several health-related websites, and authoring of many fitness-related products for consumers and fitness professionals. http://www.fitnessdestinations.com

Related Links:

Diets - Why Drastic Does Not Work

Surviving Glycemic Diets (Ketogenic, Low-Carb or Atkins):

Abdominal Liposuction - When Diets Dont Work

Why Do We Cheat On Our Diets?

Who Said Low Carb Diets Ever Meant No-Carb?

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Who Said Low Carb Diets Ever Meant No-Carb?


A little information if often a dangerous thing... and many people trying low carb diets failed miserably in the long-run because they took the concept to its extreme figuring that if low-carb diets were good, then no-carb diets must be better? Wrong!

One of the primary reasons why low carb diets are so successful for a lot of people is that it forces them to remove the nutrient-deficient junk food from their daily food intake. In the last 20 years the average North American diet has become so polluted with refined foods, sugars, and unhealthy fats that the average American is now clinically obese!

Low carb diets owe their success to common sense more that any diet revelation. When was it ever acceptable to consume donuts, soda pop, Big Macs, deep-fried French fries and pizza on a daily basis? As peoples lives became busier the advent of fast food and convenience food grew by leaps and bounds. This was all very convenient for busy families trying to get food on the dinner table in time, but only now are we realizing the true cost of this convenience.

Processed and refined foods alter foods from their natural complex state, grinding them into fine powders that are easier to handle, store, preserve, and use in the manufacturing process. The unintended consequence of this refining process is that it makes it much easier for your body to absorb the carbohydrate glycogen energy from these foods, and creates large spikes in blood glucose levels. This in turn puts additional strain and stress on your bodys internal processes as they try to compensate for these glucose spikes, and in the process tells you body to store the energy as additional fat! In general, carbohydrates that are consumed in their natural state take longer to breakdown in your body, and the glucose release is dampened, leading to lower overall blood glucose levels.

The success of low carb diets lies more in the fact that it forces you to eliminate most refined carbohydrates, to eat foods in their natural state, and eat foods that have a low caloric density, which ultimately forces you to consume less calories!

If youd like more ideas on how to incorporate delicious low carb foods into your lifestyle you can search the recipe database at: http://www.mylowcarbdietrecipes.com/myrecipes.asp

S.A. Smith is a freelance writer, correspondent, and contributing editor of My Low Carb Diet Recipes resource site and can be reached at http://www.mylowcarbdietrecipes.com

Related Links:

Who Said Low Carb Diets Ever Meant No-Carb?

The Hidden Truth About Diets

Why Do All Diets Fail?

Coconut Oil Diets

Friday, March 16, 2007

Where Diets Go Wrong

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Where Diets Go Wrong


When we discover that we are heavier than we want to be, we have a natural invlination to eat less food. We may skip lunch or eat only a tiny amount of our dinner in the hope that if we eat less our body will burn off some of its fat. But that is not necessarily true. Eating less actually makes it more difficult to lose weight.

Keep in mind that the human body took shape millions of years ago, and at that time there were diets. The only low-calorie event in people's lives was starvation. Those who could cope with a temporary lack of food were the ones who survived. Our bodies, therefore, ahve developed this built-in mechanism to help us survive in the face of low food intake.

When researchers compare overweight and thin people, they find that they ear roughly the same number of calories. What makes overweight people different is the amount of fat that they eat. Thin people tend to eat less fat and more complex carbohydrates.

Losing weight is not something one can do overnight. A carefully planned weight loss program requires common sense and certain guidelines. Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformantion floating around and lots of desperate people are easily duped and ripped off.

Every day one can open a magazine or newspaper and see advertisements touting some new product, pill or patch that will take excess weight off quickly. Everyone seems to be looking for that "magic" weight loss pill. Millions of Americans are trying to lose weight, spending billions of dollars every year on diet programs and products. Often they do lose some weight. But, if you check with the same people five years later, you will find that nearly all have regained whatever weight they lost.

A survey was done recently to try and determine if any commercial diet program could prove long-term success. Not a single program could do so. So rampant has the so-called diet industry become with new products and false claims that the FDA has now stepped in and started clamping down.

Being seriously overweight and particularly obesity can develop into a number of diseases and serious health problems, and it is now a known fact that when caloric intake is excessive, some of the excess frequently is saturated fat.

The myth is that people get heavy by eating too many calories. Calories are a consideration it's true, but overall they are not the cause of obesity in America today. Americans actually take in fewer calories each day than they did at the beginning of the century. If calories alone were the reason we become overweight, we should all be thin. But we are not. Collectively, we are heavier than ever. Partly, it is because we are more sedentary now. But equally, as important is the fact that the fat content of the American diet has changed dramatically.

People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time. Although your weight may initially drop while dieting, such weight loss consists mostly of water and muscle. When the weight returns, it comes back as fat. To avoid getting fatter over time, increase your metabolism by exercising regularly.

Select an exercise routine that you are comfortable with and remember that walking is one of the best and easiest exercises for strengthening your bones, controlling your weight and toning your muscles.

Article by Jay Harris of IMI Concepts. Visit his website http://www.home-job-alert.com

Related Links:

Surviving Glycemic Diets (Ketogenic, Low-Carb or Atkins):

Abdominal Liposuction - When Diets Dont Work

Why Do We Cheat On Our Diets?

Fruit Diets: Facts For Fitness

Monday, March 12, 2007

Weight Loss Methods

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Weight Loss Methods


On the market at any given time, there are hundreds of weight loss methods. You will no doubt see hundreds of commercials in your time for a weight loss drug, a weight loss plan, or an exercise machine. They all tell you that they are the best. They will provide for you the best solution for losing weight. Some may say that they will guarantee the weight loss if you follow their so called simple steps. The truth of the matter is that you need to actively work for the weight loss to be effective. Here, we will talk about different methods of weight loss that you can use to help you gain control of your life.

Realize that anyone that needs to lose weight has to fight for it. Sure, it might be easier for some to lose than others, but the bottom line is that there is no easy weight loss solution out there. No magic pill exists to magically melt away the pounds. It all comes from hard work, eating right, and determination. But, let us explore the different methods of getting the weight off! From the simplest to the most difficult, there are really hundreds of ways you can effectively lose weight. Just remember determination is the key to success!

First of all, it just makes sense to talk about the most effective and longest lasting diet ever. You will never believe this but this is such a powerful diet that when most people follow it, they lose weight! Unfortunately, it is the most difficult to do as well. Eating a balanced diet and getting regular, vigorous exercise is the diet in question here. Yes, we all know that you don't want to give up your favorite foods or want to exercise hard and heavy. But, again, this really is the most beneficial diet out there for weight loss. You need to maintain a healthy diet full of vegetables, fruits and the right portions of meats, grains, and dairy. You will need to exercise daily, developing strong muscles and work off that unwanted fat.

So, like many people you didn't stop reading there. You do not want to do that diet because you may have tried and found it too hard. You may have found that you just didn't have time. Whatever you excuse it, you are here and reading on to search for an easier solution.

Many people have tried the limitation diets like South Beach, Atkins, no fat, or no protein. There are hundreds of fad diets out there. Do they work? Maybe, but you need to realize that by giving up an entire food group can do damage to your body later on in life as well. High fat diets can contribute to heart disease and high blood pressure. Low fat diets can cause their own set of problems because your body needs a healthy amount of fat. In order for these diets to work, you will have to give up the "bad" food for the course of your life. This is difficult, but like we said, all weight loss is!

Exercise can be an excellent way to loose weight. You can exercise away the pounds if you like. Things like jogging, swimming, aerobics, Pilates, and all sorts of other exercise routines can in fact help you to lose weight. In many of these situations, you will have to work long and hard at it. Determination, remember? But, what you are doing is building up the muscle mass in your body. Muscles will burn fat twice as fast as weaker muscles. That means that you will burn fat faster when your body is in shape through exercising. It is important to stress that you will need to insure that you are seen by a doctor prior to starting a hard core exercise plan. Also, remember that you can be thin through exercise, but if you are eating the wrong foods, you are likely to have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or many other things.

Herbal remedies are another way to lose weight effectively. Herbal remedies are available in all sorts of combinations. Most of them are healthy and definitely non toxic. They work because they are all natural products like the foods we eat, that our bodies already know how to digest and use. That means they can be twice as effective, in some cases, as medications. But, just like eating a meal that gives you indigestion, while you may be affected, the friend may not. Herbal remedies can be quite similar meaning they are not a for sure thing.

There are, of course, diet pills that do work. Like herbal remedies, they can help speed up metabolism or help to tell you to stop eating. They can trick the mind into thinking you are full. Many of these diet pills are herbal remedies and do work on and off for many people. While there is no proof that they will work in your situation, they may just be what you need in the end.

And, we are back to the good old eating right and getting the exercise you need diet. Weight loss is a lifelong battle for many people, contributing to their death, in some cases. But, by simply eating right and getting the daily dose of exercise that many of us do not get, we can greatly reduce the amount of bad the weight does to us. Heart disease, organ failure, and many more things can be caused in part or fully from being overweight. Whatever method you decide to use as your method to lose weight do so and, remember that it will take a lot of determination and a whole lot of patience to get where you are going. You will lose the weight. You will be proud to look in the mirror, not because you look good, but because you accomplish a huge goal, a difficult goal, and a lifetime goal of losing weight! Remember to talk to your doctor about you weight loss method as well.

Hilda Maria is a freelance writer with 5 children who knows the importance of a balanced diet for them. She enjoys providing useful knowledge about weight loss and exercise to her readers as well as to her children.

Related Links:

Diet and Exercise Tips

Rating The Diets: A Mindless Exercise?

Do Jet Lag Diets Work?

Protein: Common or Missing Link?

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Weight Loss Fads that Dont Work

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Weight Loss Fads that Dont Work


No matter what the reason, successful weight loss and healthy weight management depend on sensible goals and expectations. If you set sensible goals for yourself, chances are you'll be more likely to meet them and have a better chance of keeping the weight off. In fact, losing even five to 10 percent of your weight is the kind of goal that can help improve your health.

Most overweight people should lose weight gradually. For safe and healthy weight loss, try not to exceed a rate of two pounds per week. Sometimes, people with serious health problems associated with obesity may have legitimate reasons for losing weight rapidly.

What you weigh is the result of several factors:

-how much and what kinds of food you eat

-whether your lifestyle includes regular physical activity

-whether you use food to respond to stress and other situations in your life

-your physiologic and genetic make-up

-your age and health status.

Successful weight loss and weight management should address all of these factors. And that's the reason to ignore products and programs that promise unrealistic quick and easy results, or that promise permanent results without permanent changes in your lifestyle. Any ad that says you can lose weight without lowering the calories you take in and/or increasing your physical activity is selling fantasy and false hope. In fact, some people would call it fraud.

Why Fad Diets Don't Work

The world has an unhealthy obsession with 'fad' diets. This is due to the American culture's need for a magic bullet or solution that provides immediate gratification. Technically a diet simply refers to what you eat any day. In the truest sense, we are all on a diet daily - the question is, is it healthy or not.

It can get pretty confusing because one is assaulted daily with claims from diet gurus. Also sky-high book sales from diet plans promoting diets that restrict certain foods or food combining tells us that these diets are healthy. This is not necessarily true. The diet may work for the short term but you could end up with a heart attack, problem skin, kidney failure and even malnutrition!

There is continuing controversy between the "diet" experts about which diet works best. One book advises to avoid all carbohydrates, yet another promotes carbohydrates. Some suggest that you consume a high fat, high protein diet consisting of no carbohydrates, while another may say that eating no fat is the key to weight loss success. Who do we believe, and what do we believe? Im not discred iting all weight-loss programs and products. Those few that focus on permanent lifestyle changes, correct information, and proper nutrition are the weight loss programs that are the most successful.

Fad diets don't work because they cause you to focus more on food than you would if you were not dieting. Most of them are based on self-deprivation. Depriving ones self of a craving usually doesn't last for more than a day. The next thing you know the person is breaking the diet, feeling the failure of that and then giving up altogether. The idea is to adopt a healthy eating and exercise plan to avoid this common dieter's pitfall.

Another drawback of fad diets is that many of them don't work at all. Some, such as those based on diuretic herbs simply cause a loss of water rather than fat. This water is simply regained back by the body and then retained with a vengeance after you are off the diet. This is known as rebound weight gain.

Diets fail because they offer no long-term solution. When people initially start dieting theyre highly motivated. They immediately stop eating fast food, stop-consuming alcohol, stop eating sweets, and start exercising. But as time passes, they fail to exercise, as often, they don't watch calories as closely as they once did, and they lose the motivation they once had. As a result, they fall back into old habits, patterns, and eventually a lifestyle. You can prevent this phenomenon by introducing changes at a gradual pace. Dont attempt to change your entire lifestyle overnight. For example, cut back on sugar consumption and add exercise to your daily routine two or three times a week. A few weeks later add another day of exercise and limit junk food consumption to once or twice a week; continue until a balance is reached and you feel in control.

The reason that most diet gurus sell a lot of books is because they are selling hope, not realistic expectations. Many people place all their trust in the book, and not themselves. As a result, they dont accomplish their weight-loss goal because the secret isnt found in a diet book. Succeeding at weight-loss requires far more than just reading a book, it requires the accumulation of knowledge, patience, planning, good choices, and of course, realistic expectations.

Its essential to make good choices. Once you make a choice, it then makes you. Choices feed habits, habits define lifestyle, and lifestyle determines your future. Learning to make good choices is an important step in establishing long-term weight loss goals.

Publisher & author: Roy Barker. Roy has an indepth and long established background with the vitamins, minerals and health industry and has researched and experimented with many diets over a thirty year period. Roy is also the author of Safe and Easy Weightloss, a downloadable e-book based on the famous Mediterranean Diet and often used by those with heart conditions and those who seek a safe way to shed weight. It can be viewed at http://www.safe-and-easy-weightloss.com. Further articles, and related health and weightloss sites can be found at http://www.weightloss-diet-health-vitamins.com

The information on this and any adjoining pages may be reprinted and used on other sites providing this information remains on the article and all pages and credits remain as they are found here in its current compilation with all links in tact.

Related Links:

Five Serious Dangers of Low Carbohydrate Diets

Low-Carb Diets - An Introduction

Low Fat versus Low Carb Diets

Low-Carb Diet - Should I or Shouldnt I?

Weight Loss Diets with Negative Calorie Foods

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Weight Loss Diets with Negative Calorie Foods


Negative calorie foods are said to use more calories to digest than the calorie content of the foods themselves, resulting in a negative calorie balance. It is therefore natural to consider a diet containing these foods for weight loss.

A diet is a combination of a balanced selection of foods designed for medical or nutritional reasons. A good diet should include all major food groups. The weight loss diets (with or without negative calorie foods) are made to reduce body fat and weight. Some of the popular weight loss diets are: Atkin's diet, cabbage soup diet, grapefruit diet, Hollywood diet, negative calorie foods diet, Pritikin diet, the South beach diet and the zone diet.

Most of the weight loss diets promote to eat a particular food group and restrict other food groups. Such diets may show temporary results. If you follow these restricted diets for a long time, you may develop some health problems at later stage as these diets do not contain all the necessary nutrients needed for your body.

The secret to losing weight is to eat and drink the right kind of foods until you are satisfied. Skipping of meals is not the answer for weight loss, it can rather deteriorate your health. A healthy weight loss diet plan should include vegetables, fruits, grains, lentils and beans in your diet. Following is a sample daily diet plan that is good for keeping healthy weight and good health, irrespective of whether you follow a diet plan with negative calorie foods or not.

- Skim milk and skim yogurt.
- Salads or boiled vegetables or vegetable soup as starter.
- Whole-wheat bread/tortila, whole grain cereal and rice.
- Whole grains like kidney beans, chick peas and lentils.
- Lightly cooked green vegetables.
- Any dessert with minimum sugar.
- Lean variety of meat (it is better to avoid).
- The dinner should be light. If you had bread for lunch then have rice for dinner.

Include as much negative calorie foods as possible in the above diet plan. If you are meat eater, choose from a lean variety and restrict to one serving in a day.

A diet with negative calorie foods as main ingredients can include foods that are loaded with carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibers necessary for keeping you fit. The diet with negative calorie foods can be tailored for fast or gradual weight loss. The fast weight loss diet that can lower the weight up to two pounds per day, is not recommended for long term. The gradual weight loss diet can reduce one pound in a week and can be followed until desired weight is achieved. The diet can be made according to ones needs. The negative calorie foods will not give you much benefit if you are eating foods loaded with fats and sugars. If you eat a serving of potato fries, don't think that you can reduce the calories gained from fries by simply eating some negative calorie celery.

Copyright 2004, www.NegativeCalorieFoods.com

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

------------------------------------

For more information on negative calorie foods, negative calorie recipes and diets, visit the web site: Negative Calorie Foods, Recipes, Diet.

------------------------------------

Related Links:

Low Carb Diets: Craze or Crazy?

Lawsuits on Foods and Diets

Government Against Diets

Why Diets DONT Work

Weight Loss: Carbs? Or No Carbs?

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Weight Loss: Carbs? Or No Carbs?


Dietitians just plain don't like low-carb or high-protein diets.

Whether it's The Atkins Diet, The Stillman Diet, The Scarsdale Diet or Eat Yourself Thin Like I Did by Nancy Moshier, a popular, new book that recommends a low-carb regimen, medical experts say these diets are not part of long-term weight maintenance.

"All of these diets, they are warmed-over versions of The Atkins Diet," says Heather Holden, RD, LDN, clinical dietitian at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. "Low-carb, high-protein, it doesn't matter what you call them, they don't work in the long run."

But some aspects of Eat Yourself Thin are useful, says Holden. In particular, the book's focus on calorie counting can be useful.

How Many Calories Do You Need?
---------------------------------------------------

"The best thing about the book is that it teaches people how to calculate an approximate basal metabolic rate," says Holden. "That's the number of calories your body needs every day to maintain a constant weight. The number is different for everyone."

The book, says Holden, tells readers to establish their ideal body weight and then multiply that number by 10 to arrive at the daily calorie intake. For example, if your ideal body weight was 130 pounds, you would multiply that 130 by 10 to get 1,300 calories per day.

"That is a very rough estimate of what you need to eat each day at your ideal weight," says Holden. "So that gives you a place to start. If you weigh 160 pounds, and your ideal weight is 130 pounds, then you start a calorie diary to see how much you're eating each day. Then you can get a better idea of how much you can eat every day to start working off weight to get closer to your ideal weight."

That much, she says, is useful. But the book goes on to tout the wonders of low-carb eating as the best way to maximize loss of body fat.

"That's the part you want to avoid," says Holden. "Low-carb diets provide quick weight loss but do not help you maintain weight loss."

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) says that both low-carb and high-protein diets are bad.

"These diets are not safe, they are not healthy, and they are not a good way to try to get healthy," says Leslie Bonci, RD, nutritionist with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Complex and a spokesperson for the ADA. "They provide short-term, rapid weight loss by causing the body to shed water weight and muscle. But that is no way to keep weight off for very long, and it's dangerous to your body chemistry."

Dangerous Process
-----------------------------------------
According to the ADA, low-carb diets and others like it trigger short-term weight loss through a process called ketosis. This process kicks in when your body is in short supply of carbohydrates, a prime source of energy for the entire body, but especially for the brain, which operates exclusively on carbohydrates.

During ketosis, your carbohydrate-depleted body grabs other sources, including ketones from stored fat or protein, to satisfy daily energy needs. This leads to ketoacidosis, a state similar to that seen with type 1 diabetes. This type of diet can have a negative long-term impact on health.

"Next time you talk to someone on one of these diets, pay attention to their mental state, how alert they seem," says Holden. "The lack of carbohydrates tends to make them seem a bit fuzzy mentally because the brain is not getting enough fuel. Is that any way to diet?"

New Research Supports It
-------------------------------------
But a study in the July 2002 issue of the American Journal of Medicine showed that the most famous of low-carb diets, the Atkins diet, does work.

Study participants lost an average of 20 pounds while on the Atkins diet for six months, but they were not followed longer to see if they kept the weight off. Most people also had improved cholesterol levels at the end of the study, even though the eating plan permits unlimited quantities of cholesterol-rich foods such as eggs and meat.

The study was funded by a grant from the Robert Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine. Duke researcher Eric Westman, MD, says he became interested in studying the Atkins diet after several of his patients lost large amounts of weight on it.

But though researchers were impressed by the weight loss, they say more study is needed to pronounce the carbohydrate-restricting diet safe.

Safe Dieting
------------------------
Here's how the American Heart Association says to take weight off, and keep it off.

Be active: try walking 30 minutes a day most days of the week.

To lose weight, most women should eat 1,200-1,500 calories per day.

To lose weight, most men should eat 1,500-1,800 calories a day.

A loss of one to two pounds per week is considered a healthy weight loss.

People who lose weight gradually are more likely to keep the weight off.

Eat no more than 30% of your total calories from fat.

Include at least five servings of fruit and vegetables in your diet each day.

Examine your eating habits -- keep a written journal of what and when you eat.

Weigh yourself only once a week.

Eat breakfast to curb binge eating.

"There are still a lot of things we don't know about food and nutrition," says Holden. "Nutrition is a relatively young science, but we do know that you can trick the body's mechanisms in the short run. In the long run, however, those short cuts catch up with you in the form of weight gain."

Source: WebMD

You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as long as the bylines are included.

Original URL (The Web version of the article)
------------
Weight Loss: Carbs? Or No Carbs?

About The Author
----------------
Michael Lewis has been collecting articles and information on Weight Loss and HGH (Human Growth Hormone and related health benefits. He has created and edits numerous web sites about this subject. Michael is a staff writer for http://www.ageforce.com and several otherwebsites. If you would like to contact Michael you can e-mail him at Michael@AgeForce.com If you would like to know more about Weight Loss, HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and related health topics please visit us at AgeForce.com.

Related Links:

Web Page Building for Beginners 2

Protein - The Denominator Customary to All Diets

Healthy Eating Habits

Foods and Diets Litigations

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Weighing-In On Low Carb Diets

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Weighing-In On Low Carb Diets


With all of the conflicting studies and fuzzy interpretation of information, it's no wonder that confusion reigns when it comes to the value and safety of low-carb diets. It seems like heated debates are raging everywhere! Whether it's Atkins, the South Beach or some other low-carb plan, as many as 30 million Americans are following a low-carb diet.

Advocates contend that the high amount of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. Critics, on the other hand, attribute obesity and related health problems to over-consumption of calories from any source, and lack of physical activity. Critics also express concern that the lack of grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals.

Any diet, weather low or high in carbohydrate, can produce significant weight loss during the initial stages of the diet. But remember, the key to successful dieting is in being able to lose the weight permanently. Put another way, what does the scale show a year after going off the diet? Let's see if we can debunk some of the mystery about low-carb diets. Below, is a listing of some relevant points taken from recent studies and scientific literature. Please note there may be insufficient information available to answer all questions.

- Differences Between Low-Carb Diets

There are many popular diets designed to lower carbohydrate consumption. Reducing total carbohydrate in the diet means that protein and fat will represent a proportionately greater amount of the total caloric intake. Atkins and Protein Power diets restrict carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like Sugar Busters claim to eliminate only sugars and foods that elevate blood sugar levels excessively.

- What We Know about Low-Carb Diets

Almost all of the studies to date have been small with a wide variety of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric intake, diet duration and participant characteristics varied greatly. Most of the studies to date have two things in common: None of the studies had participants with a mean age over 53 and none of the controlled studies lasted longer than 90 days.

Information on older adults and long-term results are scarce.

Many diet studies fail to monitor the amount of exercise, and therefore caloric expenditure, while participants are dieting. This helps to explain discrepancies between studies. The weight loss on low-carb diets is a function of caloric restriction and diet duration, and not with reduced carbohydrate intake. This finding suggests that if you want to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a long time period.

Little evidence exists on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. Despite the medical community concerns, no short-term adverse effects have been found on cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels among participants on the diets. But, adverse effects may not show up because of the short period of the studies.

Researchers note that losing weight typically leads to an improvement in these levels anyway, and this may offset an increase caused by a high fat diet. The long range weight change for low-carb and other types of diets is similar. Most low-carb diets cause ketosis. Some of the potential consequences are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and confusion. During the initial phase of low-carb dieting some fatigue and constipation may be encountered. Generally, these symptoms dissipate quickly. Ketosis may also give the breath a fruity odor, somewhat like nail-polish remover (acetone).

Low-carb diets do not enable the consumption of more calories than other kinds of diets, as has been often reported. A calorie is a calorie and it doesn't matter weather they come from carbohydrates or fat. Study discrepancies are likely the result of uncontrolled circumstances; i.e. diet participants that cheat on calorie consumption, calories burned during exercise, or any number of other factors. The drop-out rate for strict (i.e. less than 40 grams of CHO/day) low-carb diets is relatively high.

What Should You Do? - There are 3 important points I would like to re-emphasize:

- The long-range success rate for low-carb and other types of diets is similar.

- Despite their popularity, little information exists on the long-term efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets.

- Strict low-carb diets are usually not sustainable as a normal way of eating.

Boredom usually overcomes willpower.

It is obvious after reviewing the topic, that more, well-designed and controlled studies are needed. There just isn't a lot of good information available, especially concerning long-range effects. Strict low-carb diets produce ketosis which is an abnormal and potentially stressful metabolic state. Under some circumstances this might cause health related complications.

The diet you choose should be a blueprint for a lifetime of better eating, not just a quick weight loss plan to reach your weight goal. If you can't see yourself eating the prescribed foods longer than a few days or a week, then chances are it's not the right diet. To this end, following a moderately low fat diet with a healthy balance of fat, protein, carbohydrate and other nutrients is beneficial.

If you do decide to follow a low-carb plan, remember that certain dietary fats are associated with reduction of disease. Foods high in unsaturated fats that are free of trans-fatty acids such as olive oil, fish, flaxseeds, and nuts are preferred to fats from animal origins.

Even promoters of the Atkins diet now say people on their plan should limit the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat. Atkins representatives are telling health professionals that only 20 percent of a dieter's calories should come from saturated fat (i.e. meat, cheese, butter). This change comes as Atkins faces competition from other popular low-carb diets that call for less saturated fat, such as the South Beach diet plan. Low-carb dieting should not be considered as a license to gorge on red meat!

Another alternative to "strict" low-carb dieting would be to give up some of the bad carbohydrate foods but not "throw out the baby with the bath water". In other words, foods high in processed sugar, snacks, and white bread would be avoided, but foods high in complex carbohydrates such as fruit, potatoes and whole grains, retained.

Tim Robinson is the owner of Weight-Loss-Diet-Search.com

Visit this site for fresh health, weight loss and dieting articles, useful books, guides and software, and latebreaking health & fitness news.

Related Links:

Protein - The Denominator Customary to All Diets

Healthy Eating Habits

Foods and Diets Litigations

Exercise and Low Carb Diets Make Poor Partners

Web Page Building for Beginners 2

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Web Page Building for Beginners 2


A search engine robot actually reads the wording on your web pages and places a certain amount of importance on what the content says, but not quite like a human does. A human will place the words together in their head and try to decipher the relevancy to them personally and decide within a few seconds whether they will continue reading or click to another site, whereas a robot counts words and places all relevancy in the numbers it finds. It also gives extra credit to the size of the type and title of each page.

What a webmaster should consider, is every word connecting to a keyword and not wasting words, for the public and the robots. This can be difficult to do when writing about certain subjects, but not impossible. Take diets for instance. Saquoyah Publishing writes diets and uses www.free-diet.biz to promote them, but nobody wants to read pages full of the word diet just bandied around with no oomph in the article that should teach the reader about diets. So a happy medium must be reached to get the website placed high in the search engines database, yet allow the articles to inform the reader of the subject written. Remember, the information super highway is called that for a good reason. Most people just want to learn something about a subject, not necessarily buy something. So if you are selling, the first thing you will want is to get the reader to find the pages you have written, and that means search engine optimization, or SEO as it is called.

SEO should be a major consideration as the page is written, and a concentration on keywords should be the main concern of the page writer. Take diets as an example of page writing. The word Diet or Diets should be placed in the title of each page on the website if at all reasonable, and each page should utilize those words as many times as possible without deterring hopeful customers. The title of the page is the most noticeable attraction to your website from the searchers perspective, and the few words you have to say everything about your site. Free diet is a two word search that will get you over twenty five million pages on Google or Yahoo, and the competition is fierce. Just the word free will get you over a half billion pages and the competition is downright crazy. So stick with keywords that you can compete in, and use those words wisely as you write your pages.

Simple, free, healthy diet are the four keywords that describe the title of my index page, and they are the best way to describe what I hope the searchers will be looking for, as well as what I have to offer. This is the most optimistic I can be when writing my title to help people learn about diets and to help my website get a good placement with search engines. Also, a four word phrase has less competition than a two word phrase. So make sure your title is something that the searcher is looking for as well as something you provide or you will never get customer satisfaction, and maybe never get customers.

The contents of the page can be categorized into sections to help keep your keywords alive without pushing them on the reader. For instance, free diets, beer diets, funny diet jokes, potato soup diet, pineapple diets, Beverly Hillbilly Diet foods, and many other strange things can be written without being insensitive to the reader, if they are titles of some of your other pages or just paragraphs on each topic. The contents close to the top of your page should also be the same words you have in the contents meta tag that the robots will copy to be placed under your title in a web search. In this way, the reader will also get a fair chance at what you really have to say on your site and can make a better judgment call on whether to open your index page or some other. This is how you select customers instead of wasting everyones time. This article can be copied and reprinted anywhere as long as it is intact and includes the authors bio.

About The Author

Ted Dupuie owns a home based publishing company that only publishes his work, which includes diets, an investment strategy, and 8 websites, plus a family newsletter. He is also a writing critic with top ten placement on Google and Yahoo!

www.saquoyah.com - www.homewriters.com - www.free-diet.biz

This article can be copied and reprinted anywhere as long as it is intact with the authors bio.

Related Links:

Protein: Common or Missing Link?

Weight Loss: Carbs? Or No Carbs?

Give up the Diet

Todays Diets Whats Hot!

Vegetable Diets: Facts For Fitness

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Vegetable Diets: Facts For Fitness


The body needs a lot of fiber, so its only common sense to add plenty of fiber to your diet. Vegetables will definitely supply you with much of the daily fiber that you need. Nature grows the required vegetables and fruits suitable for the complete nourishment of your body, so you have no excuses.

So, go ahead its perfectly OK to go crazy eating vegetables.

Here are some juicy tidbits about the benefits of vegetables, and how to prepare them properly.

1. Vegetables are your best bet when it comes to losing extra pounds. Nature provides a terrific buffet of healthy vegetables, and leafy green veggies are your best choice for dropping that spare luggage. So, always try to include a salad with your meals.

2. If you need to have a snack, stay away from the cookie jar! Choose vegetables as a healthy snack instead. We all get those pangs of hunger in between meals, but it is something that we have full control over. A great snack suggestion would be to try munching on carrots. They are a wonderful way to satisfy those hunger pangs and are good for your eyes, as well as your teeth. If people tease you about being Bugs Bunny, just remember that you wont be saying Whats up Doc? nearly as often as they will. You will be healthy!

3. Fresh vegetables are far better for you than cooked or canned vegetables, so always try to eat your vegetables raw. Wherever possible, locally produced seasonal fruits and vegetables fresh from the garden or grove should be eaten. When you cook vegetables, you are taking away nearly half of the vitamins in them. Canned vegetables are not much better than cooked. They are processed and are not nearly as good for you as fresh vegetables. Also, when you buy your vegetables its always a good idea to see if the label states whether its pesticide free or not.

4. If you do have to cook your vegetables, steam them. Try steaming them without adding anything at all. This is probably the healthiest way to eat vegetables such as cabbages, cauliflowers and a whole host of other yummy vegetables.

5. Consider carrying some sprigs of parsley with you. Parsley is another excellent thing to snack on in between meals. Not only is it good for you in terms of vitamins, but it is also a perfect way to make your breath fresher just in case you might need it.

Your mother was right eating your veggies is very important for your overall development. And if you haven't been listening to your mother, it's not too late for you to start now!

To support your Mom's advice one more time, here's one more benefit to eating your vegetables that is often overlooked. Water intake.

Most people seem to be surprised when they learn of the pure simplicity and effectiveness of water for weight and health management. And yet, its right in front of us!

Since some vegetables like tomatos (actually a fruit) are a good source of water, you now have one more reason to consume vegetables. So, dont think about it anymore; just do it.

**Water intake is a whole other topic, but one that will also enable you to drop the pounds and stay healthy. To learn more about the amazing benefits of water and how to maximize its use in your dietary routine, visit: http://www.privilegedinfo.com/waterwisdom.html.

Steve Shannon is webmaster at PrivilegedInfo.com and finds unique and useful information such as the weight loss tips at http://www.privilegedinfo.com/waterwisdom.html . You may reprint this article in its entirety as long as this resource box remains intact and the links are live.

Related Links:

Rating the Fad Diets

Lets Talk About Fad Diets

7 Reasons Low Carb Diets are Wrong

Top 15 Reasons to Avoid Low Carb Diets

Top 15 Reasons to Avoid Low Carb Diets

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Top 15 Reasons to Avoid Low Carb Diets


Low carb (carbohydrate), high protein diets are the latest

dieting craze. However, before you jump on the band wagon,

you may want to consider a few things:

1. Low carb (ketogenic) diets deplete the healthy glycogen

(the storage form of glucose) stores in your muscles and

liver. When you deplete glycogen stores, you also dehydrate,

often causing the scale to drop significantly in the first week

or two of the diet. This is usually interpreted as fat loss when

its actually mostly from dehydration and muscle loss. By the

way, this is one of the reasons that low carb diets are so

popular at the moment - there is a quick initial, but deceptive

drop in scale weight.

Glycogenesis (formation of glycogen) occurs in the liver and

muscles when adequate quantities of carbohydrates are

consumed - very little of this happens on a low carb diet.

Glycogenolysis (breakdown of glycogen) occurs when

glycogen is broken down to form glucose for use as fuel.

2. Depletion of muscle glycogen causes you to fatigue easily,

and makes exercise and movement uncomfortable. Research

indicates that muscle fatigue increases in almost direct

proportion to the rate of depletion of muscle glycogen. Bottom

line is that you don't feel energetic and you exercise and move

less (often without realizing it) which is not good for caloric

expenditure and basal metabolic rate (metabolism).

3. Depletion of muscle glycogen leads to muscle atrophy (loss

of muscle). This happens because muscle glycogen (broken

down to glucose) is the fuel of choice for the muscle during

movement. There is always a fuel mix, but without muscle

glycogen, the muscle fibers that contract, even at rest to

maintain muscle tone, contract less when glycogen is not

immediately available in the muscle. Depletion of muscle

glycogen also causes you to exercise and move less than

normal which leads to muscle loss and the inability to

maintain adequate muscle tone.

Also, in the absence of adequate carbohydrate for fuel,

the body initially uses protein (muscle) and fat. the initial

phase of muscle depletion is rapid, caused by the use of

easily accessed muscle protein for direct metabolism

or for conversion to glucose (gluconeogenesis) for fuel. Eating

excess protein does not prevent this because there is a caloric

deficit.

When insulin levels are chronically too low as they may

be in very low carb diets, catabolism (breakdown) of

muscle protein increases, and protein synthesis stops.

4. Loss of muscle causes a decrease in your basal metabolic

rate (metabolism). Metabolism happens in the muscle. Less

muscle and muscle tone means a slower metabolism which

means fewer calories burned 24 hours-a-day.

5. Your muscles and skin lack tone and are saggy. Saggy

muscles don't look good, cause saggy skin, and cause you to

lose a healthy, vibrant look (even if youve also lost fat).

6. Some proponents of low carb diets recommend avoiding

carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, potatoes, carrots, etc.

because of they are high on the glycemic index - causing

a sharp rise in insulin. Certain carbohydrates have always

been, and will always be the bad guys: candy, cookies, baked

goods with added sugar, sugared drinks, processed / refined

white breads, pastas, and rice, and any foods with added sugar.

These are not good for health or weight loss.

However, carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, legumes,

whole grain breads and pastas, and brown rice are good for

health and weight loss. Just like with proteins and fats, these

carbohydrates should be eaten in moderation. Large volumes

of any proteins, fats or carbohydrates are not conducive to

weight loss and health.

The effect of high glycemic foods is often exaggerated. It's does

matter, but to a smaller degree than is often portrayed. Also,

the total glycemic effect of foods is influenced by the quantity

of that food that you eat at a sitting. Smaller meals have a lower

overall glycemic effect. Also, we usually eat several types of

food at the same time, thereby reducing the average glycemic

index of the meal, if higher glycemic foods are eaten.

Also, glycemic index values can be misleading because they

are based on a standard 50 grams of carbohydrate consumed.

It wouldn't take much candy bar to get that, but it would take

four cups of carrots. Do you usually eat four cups of carrots

at a meal?

Regular exercisers and active people also are less effected by

higher glycemic foods because much of the carbohydrate

comsumed is immediately used to replenish glycogen stores in

the liver and muscle.

By the way, if you're interested in lowering insulin levels,

there is a great way to do that - exercise and activity.

7. Much of the weight loss on a low carb, high protein diet,

especially in the first few weeks, is actually because of

dehydration and muscle loss.

8. The percentage of people that re-gain the weight they've

lost with most methods of weight loss is high, but it's even

higher with low carb, high protein diets. This is primarily due

to three factors:

A. You have lost muscle. With that comes a slower

metabolism which means fewer calories are burned 24

hours-a-day. A loss of muscle during the process of losing

weight is almost a guarantee for re-gaining the lost weight,

and more.

B. You re-gain the healthy fluid lost because of glycogen

depletion.

C. It's difficult to maintain that type of diet long-term.

D. You have not made a change to a long-term healthy

lifestyle.

9. Eating too much fat is just not healthy. I know you've

heard of people whose blood levels of cholesterol and

triglycerides have decreased while on a low carb, high

protein diet. This often happens with weight loss, but it

doesn't continue when you're on a diet high in fat.

There are literally reams of research over decades that clearly

indicates that an increase in consumption of animal products

and/or saturated fat leads to increased incidence of heart

disease, strokes, gall stones, kidney stones, arthritic

symptoms, certain cancers, etc. For example, in comparing

countries with varying levels of meat consumption, there

is a direct relationship between the volume of meat consumption

in a country and the incidence of digestive cancers (stomach,

intestines, rectal, etc.).

Fat is certainly necessary, and desirable in your diet, but

they should be mostly healthy fats and in moderation.

Manufactured / synthetic "low fat" foods with lots of added

sugar are not the answer. Neither are manufactured / synthetic

"low carb" foods with artificial sweeteners or added fat. By

the way, use of artificial sweeteners has never been shown

to aid in weight loss and they may pose health problems.

According to Dr. Keith-Thomas Ayoob of Albert Einstein

College of Medicine in New York, "In my experience,

unless you're willing to throw out decades of research,

you cannot ignore that diets chronically high in saturated

fats are linked to heart disease," Dr. Ayoob is also a

spokesman for the American Dietetic Association

and says that low carb, high protein diets are an attempt

at a quick fix and not a long-term lifestyle change.

10. As someone recently told me, "it must work - people

are losing weight". People that are truly losing fat on

low carb, high protein diets, are doing so because they

are eating fewer calories - that's the bottom line. There

is no magic - the same can be done on a healthy diet.

11. Low carb diets are lacking in fiber. Every plant-based

food has some fiber. All animal products have no fiber. A

lack of fiber increases your risk for cancers of the digestive

track (because transit time is lengthened) and cardiovascular

disease (because of fibers effect on fat and cholesterol). It

also puts you at a higher risk for constipation and other bowel

disorders.

12. Low carb diets lack sufficient quantities of the the many

nutrients / phytonutrients / antioxidants found in fruits,

vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, necessary for health

and aiding in prevention of cancer and heart disease. In fact,

you need these nutrients even more so when you're consuming

too much fat as is often the case on a low carb high protein diet.

13. Amercans already consume more than twice the amount

of protein needed. Add to that a high protein diet and you

have far too much protein consumption. By the way, most people

don't realize that all fruits, all vegetables, all whole grains,

and all legumes also contain protein. Animal products contain

larger quantities of protein, but that may not be a good thing.

Excess dietary protein puts you at a higher risk for many health

problems: gout (painful joints from high purine foods which are

usually high protein foods), kidney disease, kidney stones,

osteoporosis (excess dietary protein causes leeching of calcium

from the bones). By the way, countries with lower, healthier

intakes of protein also have a decreased incidence of

osteoporosis.

14. Low carb, high protein diets cause an unhealthy

physiological state called ketosis, a type of metabolic acidosis.

You may have heard the phrase, "fat burns in the flame of

carbohydrate". Excess acetyl CoA cannot enter the Krebs

Cycle (you remember the old Krebs Cycle) due to insufficient

OAA. In other words, for fat to burn efficiently and without

production of excess toxic ketones, sufficient carbohydrate

must be available. Ketosis can lead to many health problems

and can be very serious at its extreme.

15. Bad breath. Often called "keto breath" or "acetone

breath", its caused by production of acetones in a state of

ketosis.

So why the low carb, high protein craze? I believe there are

several reasons.

A. Weight loss (mostly muscle and muscle fluid) is often

rapid during the first few weeks. This causes people to think

theyre losing fat rapidly.

B. It gives you "permission" to eat the "bad foods": bacon,

eggs, burgers, steak, cheese, etc., and lots of fat.

C. Many see it as the new "magic" they've been looking for,

although it's been around, in various forms, since the

1960's.

The good news is that there is a very healthy way to lose

weight, feel energetic, and to greatly increase your chances

of keeping it off. But that's another article.

References:

- Brooks, G, Fahey, T: Exercise Physiology - Human Bioenergetics

and its Applications. John Wiley and Sons, 1984.

- Cheatham, B, Kahn, CR: Insulin Action and Insulin Signaling

Network. Endocrine Review 16:117, 1995

- Fain, JN: Insulin Secretion and Action. Metabolism 33:672, 1984.

- Fitts, RH: Cellular Mechanisms of Muscle Fatigue. Physiological

Review 74:49, 1994

- Griffin, James, Ojeda, Sergio: Textbook of Endocrine

Physiology. Oxford University Press, 2000

- Guyton, A, Hall, J: Textbook of Medical Physiology. W.B.

Saunders Company, 2000.

- Herzog, W: Muscle Function in Movement and Sports. American

Journal of Sports Medicine 24:S14, 1996

- Hoffman, JF, Jamieson, JD: Handbook of Physiology: Cell

Physiology. Bethesda: American Physiological Society, 1997

- Kimball, SR, Vary, TC, Jefferson, LS: Regulation of Protein

Synthesis by Insulin. Annual Review Physiology 56:321, 1994.

- McArdle, William, Katch, Frank, Katch, Victor: Exercise

Physiology - Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance.

Lea and Febiger, 1981.

- Mcdougall, MD, John: The Mcdougall Plan. New Century

Publishers, 1983.

- Simopoulos, AP, Pavlou, KN: Nutrition and Fitness. Basel:

Karger, 1997

copyright 2004 by Greg Landry, M.S.

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry,

offers free weight loss and fitness success stories

and targeted, highly affective weight loss programs

for women, men, type 2 diabetics, and people with

slow metabolisms and hypothyroidism..

http://www.Landry.com

Related Links:

Five Serious Dangers of Low Carbohydrate Diets

Low-Carb Diets - An Introduction

Low Fat versus Low Carb Diets

Low-Carb Diet - Should I or Shouldnt I?

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Uncovered: Weight Loss Diets That Don't Work So You Can Find Those That Do

Uncovered: Weight Loss Diets That Don't Work So You Can Find Those That Do
by: Karen Gates

It's time to be honest with yourself-- again.

You know it already, it goes through your head several times before you decide to buy a product that claims to have a quick fix solution to weight gain. But the idea of a pill that magically makes you lose fat and an advertiser who uses big words and graphics to convince you that its scientifically conceivable makes you break, right? At least that is how I feel. Even if you don't buy it you want to, right?

Since there are some scams going on I decided to do some research and find out how consumers can tell if a weight loss product will be effective. What I found was a report issued by The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about claims that weight loss companies make when they try to sell their products to you.

And guess what, the feeling you've had all along is true. They came up with some weight loss claims that are, frankly, impossible.

Let me be more specific. You've heard of weight loss products that say you'll drop the pounds just by wearing a special belt or rubbing cream on your trouble spots. It would be nice, but according to the FTC there is no substantial evidence that using external products will generate any weight loss.

They also found that a product can't "block" the absorption of calories enough to cause significant weight loss, if any at all. It is simply (and unfortunately) a fact that the calories you take in have to be burned off or they are stuck there.

Another claim says that you can lose weight without diet or exercise. Not true. In fact, you may even gain weight if your unaltered diet includes eating more calories than your daily needs. To be more specific, the potential weight loss from a non-prescription pill that increases metabolism or blocks absorption of calories likely won't be more than a quarter to a third pound per week. That's a lot less than most of these drug companies claim.

One last false claim: a product will cause permanent weight loss. Just like fat can always be burned off, it can always be added on.

So now that you know some of the things that don't work you can focus on what does. There are many products out there that do work, and work well. Those that promote overall health like zone diet meals, athletic equipment, fitness videos, some appetite suppressants and many more weight loss products have a good degree of effectiveness on certain individuals. Just do a little research to find out what will work best for your body and your lifestyle.

About The Author
Karen Gates offers free information on hundreds of different weight loss methods. She also provides honest and unbiased dieting and weight loss product reviews. Go to Best Weight Loss Program also found at http://www.bestweightprograms.com.

Atkins and South Beach Diets Compared

Atkins and South Beach Diets Compared
by: David Teeth

Low-carb diets have been in the market for quite some time now. Two of the most common these days are the Atkins and South Beach Diet.

Beginnings

Both were developed by medical doctors (cardiologists) who -- according to reports -- were trying to help Americans lose weight given their high carb diets.

Atkins Diet was the first to be developed and is thus, the more popular. It was developed by the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins as early as the 1972 but became more widely popular -- despite the oppositions -- in the 1990s.

Dr. Arthur Agatston, also a cardiologist but from Mount Sinai Cardiac Prevention Center in Miami Beach, Fla., is known as the father of the South Beach diet. His work came a lot later through his book: "The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss" published in 2003.

Similarities

Both popular diet plans advise dieters to avoid carbohydrates and follow stringent steps to ensure that the significant weight lost during the program does not come back.

Both start with the so-called induction phase where the body of the dieter is "trained" for the routine.

Both diet plans come with suggested food lists where dieters can mix and match foods to suit their tastes. Of course, like other diet plans, both plans advise dieters to stay away from food not included in the lists.

Among the "dont's" in Dr. Atkins' list are fruit, bread, pasta, grains, starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and some dairy products except cheese, cream, and butter.

Aside from fruit, bread, pasta and vegetables, South Beach dieters are also advised to stay away from potatoes, cereal, rice, and corn, especially for the first two weeks of the induction or introductory period. After this period, these can be slowly re-introduced into the body, albeit in smaller amounts.

Both diet plans have a lifetime "maintenance" phase where hopefully dieters will be so accustomed to either plan that they hardly recognize that they are dieting at all.

Differences

While both diet plans restrict carbohydrate intake, the South Beach diet is said to be more forgiving by not totally eliminating carbs. It distinguishes between "good" and "bad" carbs and even "good" and "bad" fats. South Beach encourages intake of "good" carbs and fats.

Low-sugar carbs with low glycemic index are "good" carbs under the South Beach plan. Food rich in fiber are also recommended.

Atkins's diet routine helps the body to burn fat instead of carb. The goal is to help the dieter achieve good health.

Atkins's diet plan involves four phases while the South Beach plan has three phases.

In both plans, the introductory stage aims to condition the body for some changes to prepare for the program.

In Atkins diet, the body is trained to burn fat instead of sugar to help curb the cravings for sugar and break addiction to some foods.

In South Beach diet, the initial phase involves cutting on high-carb foods, which can be gradually re-introduced in small amounts in the next phase. In this case, South Beach debunks myths that this approach prevents dieters from getting healthy mix from all food groups.

Atkins dieters go through the next following phases: ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance.

The last two phases of South Beach diet are called re-introduce the carb and diet for life.

What's key in the maintenance phase in Atkins is to keep portions of food at small amounts.

Atkins diet guarantees no hunger deprivation because its long-term goal is healthy diet.

South Beach's promise is a "change in the way of eating," with the dieter not recognizing at all that he is on a diet.

Summarizing the Diets

Atkins Diet

Developed by cardiologist Dr. Robert C. Atkins in 1972, with his “Diet Revolution”, a high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet.

The program focuses on a low-carbohydrate diet.

The Program has 4 phases:

1. induction phase (train the body to burn fats instead of carb)

2. ongoing weight loss

3. pre-maintenance

4. lifetime maintenance

South Beach Diet

Developed by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston of Miami, Florida, who in 2003, published the book “The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss".

The program distinguishes between “good” and “bad” carbohydrates, and “good” and “bad” fats.

Take in “good” carbs and fats.

The program has 3 phases:

1. 2-week introductory or induction phase (strictly no carbs)

2. re-introduce the carbs

3. diet for life

About The Author

David Teeth is a personal trainer, nutritionist and dietician with years of experience in dieting. David is a full time writer for http://www.onlinedietreview.com

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Todays Diets Whats Hot!

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Todays Diets Whats Hot!


For the person who wants to shed a few pounds (or even a lot of pounds), there are many choices of diet programs. To pick the best one for your tastes and lifestyle, you need to look at the attributes of each diet plan. A listing of just a few is below.

L. A. Weight Loss

L. A. Weight Loss is based on a unique combination of regular foods that you purchase at your local grocery store or in a restaurant. Each diet plan is personalized and includes one-on-one counseling.

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers includes eating regular foods that you purchase at your local grocery store or in a restaurant. However, there is no pre-set combination of food for each day. Foods are assigned points. As long as you do not exceed your points each day, you can eat whatever you want. You will of course want to vary your food to include all of the food groups in your daily diet. Group meetings or internet tracking is available.

Jenny Craig

Jenny Craig includes food that is already prepared and pre-packaged for you. This saves you time and makes choosing what to eat very easy. They also recommend physical activity as a way to accelerate your weight loss. You meet with a personal counselor each week to discuss successes and challenges.

Nutrisystem

Nutrisystem food that is already prepared and pre-packaged for you. This saves you time and makes choosing what to eat very easy. You can order your foods on-line, and they are delivered right to your door. Most of the food includes low Glycemic Index carbohydrates which make losing weight easier. You have the option of calling or emailing your counselor so that you do not have to attend any meetings.

Finding the right diet program can be easy if you do your research. The important thing is to get on a program and stick to it. Diet, exercise, and counseling seem to provide the proper ingredients for lasting weight loss.

Copyright 2005 Susan Daniel and Debbie Overstreet

About Susan and Debbie: Susan and Debbie are internet marketers. You can review more articles and Web sites on diets and weight loss by visiting http://www.thedietstartstomorrow.com.

Related Links:

Low-carb Diets: Fad, Fallacy, or Fact?

The Diet Dilemma. Why Diets Dont Work

Food Intolerance and Low Carb Diets

Not all Fats are Bad

Tips for Effective Muscle Building Diets

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Tips for Effective Muscle Building Diets


One of the biggest mistakes many new bodybuilders make is that they don't pay attention to their muscle building diets with the same detail, desire and determination with which they pay attention to their weight training program.

You constantly see people throw out numbers such as your weight training program is 85% of your results or that muscle building diets are 95% of your results. I've always rolled my eyes at these sorts of statements and found them rather silly. No one can know for sure how to break this down.

But I can tell you this, if you neglect (or ignore completely) one or the other, whether it be your training or muscle building diets, your results will only be a fraction of what they could be - if you get any results at all!

So let's talk about the importance of your diet and nutrition plan in your quest to gain pounds of quality muscle masss.

The truth is, no one will ever gain muscle without food. Muscle building nutrition for muscle gain is simply a matter of eating. But that doesn't mean there isn't a lot to learn. Stuffing your face with the wrong type of food, or just eating 1 or 2 large meals a day isn't the way to gain muscle. You'll just end up with the other weight problem. That's right, even if you are lifting properly, you'll find yourself adding more fat than muscle to your body. And no bodybuilder I know wants to do that.

High quality protein should be the center point of all your meals. Intense exercise increases demand for protein, which support muscle repair and growth. When you train with weights, you should eat a minimum of 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.

If you weight 150 pounds, try and take in at least 225 grams of protein each and every day. I know this sounds like a lot and you could probably do okay with 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. But if you find it really difficult to gain muscle, this extra protein can help.

Here's a good starting guide for the number of calories you need to eat in your musclde building diets. A simple, yet highly accurate formula is to multiply your bodyweight by 20. For example, if you weight 150 lbs, you need at least 3,000 calories per day to maintain your bodyweight.

To grow and build muscle, you'll need more. Here's a quick guideline based on your weight. Remember, these numbers are for underweight people with high metabolisms trying to build lots of muscle quickly.

175 pounds and under - add 400 calories per day

176-200 ponds - add 500 calories per day

201 pounds and over - add 600 calories per day

To break down what you need in your muscle building diets:

Eat A Lot of Protein - At least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, preferably more.

Eat A Lot of Calories - If your goal is to gain weight fast, you most likely have little body fat and a high metabolism. While in the gaining weight stage, don't worry about adding a little bit of fat during your gaining weight phase. A good rule of thumb to start with is to multiply your body weight by 20 to get the number of calories you should be consuming each day.

If you weigh 150 pounds you should be consuming at least 3,000 calories a day. If you find, after a couple of weeks you haven't added any weight, you'll need to increase this number. This is just a starting guide. If you have a really high metabolism and you are working as hard as you should, you may need to increase your caloric intake.

Eat 6 meals a Day - This makes sure your body has the protein and calories it needs at all times. It also allows you to eat the high number of calories that you need.

Use Protein Shakes - This will make it easier for you to consume enough calories and protein each day, as well as making it much more convenient to have 6 meals a day.

Here's a sample weight gain drink you can make up and use in your muscle building nutrition program.

100 grams of protein powder

2 quarts of whole or 2% Milk

2 cups of skim milk powder

2 cups of chocolate ice cream

4 tablespoons of peanut butter

1 banana

Mix in a blender and drink throughout the day, in addition to your regular food meals.

Add or subtract ingredients based on individual taste preferences and number of calories needed.

Gregg Gillies is the founder of http://www.buildleanmuscle.com and has contributed articles to Ironman magazine and is a regular contributor to Body Talk magazine. He publishes a free newsletter availabe at Build Lean Muscle He is the author of two books, also available at his site.

Related Links:

The Non-Diet Diet

Low Carb Recipes Actually Taste Great!

Nutrition Is More Than The Nutrition Facts Box

Farewell To The Atkins Low Carb Diet

Saturday, January 20, 2007

The Non-Diet Diet

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

The Non-Diet Diet


Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A. would be the thinnest, trimmest nation in the world, with over 40 million Americans spending billions each year on weight loss products. In fact, the opposite is true. The Center for Disease Control claims that at least 65% of adults are overweight or obese. With the growing list of woes associated with obesity, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, the weight problem in America has become a serious concern. Yet we continue to look to fad diets as the answer to this serious problem - as if living on bacon and eggs, cabbage soup, or low-calorie meal replacement drinks could ever be construed as a healthy solution.

A review of popular diet programs conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, stated that most weight loss programs offered little or no proof that participants were successful in loosing weight or keeping weight off in the long run. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has stated that of the millions of people that diet, less than 5% of those who actually loose weight will be able to keep it off in the years to come. It has been surmised that a dieter may shed approximately 100 pounds in the course of a lifetime, but gain back 120 lbs. One benefit of weight loss organizations, however, was group support. Dieters who joined support groups appeared to loose more weight than those who decided to go it alone.

Fad diets themselves bring with them a plethora of health concerns. Restrictive low calorie diets can be self-defeating. The body's metabolism slows moving the system into energy conservation mode and holding on to every calorie for future use instead of burning it. Precious muscle mass is broken down, and low lethargy occurs. Low carbohydrate diets can result in dehydration and constipation. The risk of heart disease is escalated due to the increase of bad cholesterol found in animal fats. When nutritional integrity of the body is threatened due to the elimination of a particular food group, the dieter is at risk for many health problems including osteoporosis, certain types of cancers, immune system issues, electrolyte imbalances, and eating disorders. And with diets, as opposed to permanent lifestyle changes, the probability of gaining back what you have lost, and then some, is high.

In a culture obsessed with physical perfection perhaps we must evaluate how we think about weight in general. Are we dieting to be healthy, or just thin? If the later is the objective, then further investigation into dieting motivation may be necessary, but if health is the ultimate goal, then looking at lifestyle changes may the place to start. Are you an emotional eater, have a compulsive sweet tooth, or someone who eats out of boredom? Do you eat fresh foods or only things that come in a box, bag, or through a drive-up window? What is the overall condition of your health? Is your lifestyle sedentary or active? What type of physical activities do you enjoy? Questions like these help you build the foundation for creating a customized Non-Diet Diet - a common sense plan for living that will result weight loss, elevated energy levels, and improved health and well-being.

Quick fixes usually result in long term failures, and while the answer to America's weight problem may not come in the form of a magic diet, it need not be extremely complicated either. Maintaining a sensible meal plan, including complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, good fats, fruit and vegetables, and sweets in moderation, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy attitude regarding the weight/health connection may be the simple answer you've been looking for.

Deborah Martin is a writer, life coach, and co-founder of The Woman Project. For more information regarding her Non-Diet Diet and other programs visit her website at http://www.dreamlearncreate.com .

Related Links:

Farewell To The Atkins Low Carb Diet

Some Straight Talk About Low-Carbohydrates and Your Health

Atkins Diet -- The Final Verdict

Low Carb Intelligence vs. Low Carb Stupidity

The Hidden Truth About Diets

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

The Hidden Truth About Diets


Quick, what's the first thought that pops into your head when you hear the word "diet?" Probably that when you're on one, you feel like you're going to "d-i-e" right?!

WHAT EXACTLY IS A DIET?

Most people believe that a diet is something that involves pain, suffering, and giving up foods we enjoy. Some of the symptoms of "being on a diet" usually include being hungry and cranky all the time. But this is not really the true meaning of the word and if you get hung up on all the negative stuff, you'll miss the entire concept.

Webster's dictionary defines a "Diet" as:

a: food and drink regularly provided or consumed;
b: habitual nourishment;
c: the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person for a special reason.

In other words, it's what we regularly or habitually eat and drink to nourish our bodies. That's not so bad. But here's the hidden truth that will turn your understanding of diets on its head and practically guarantee that you'll reach whatever weight goal you desire: Being "on a diet" really means having a plan for your eating instead of eating according to any spur-of-the-moment mood or habit. That's it!

This is so simple. But then most basic truths are. However, it's extremely powerful if you take the time to think about it and fully understand what it means. Let me say it again so that you don't miss it: Being on a diet really means having what you eat controlled by a PLAN instead of by your moods or habits.

WHY MOST DIETS DON'T WORK

The reason most diets don't work is because of the extreme measures most of them require. Some force you to give up everything except cabbage soup, or everything except meat and meat products, or everything except salads. This is not only monotonous, it's also pretty harsh -- not only harsh to stick with, but harsh on your physical wellbeing as well.

True, a monotonous diet is often effective at losing weight over the short term (ie: the Atkins Diet) but you have to wonder if you aren't giving up a part of your health in the process (ie: ketosis, acidosis, etc). Many conventional diets put the body in a highly acidic state which can create a number of health problems.

Our bodies are designed to absorb vitamins, nutrients, and minerals from a wide variety of foods and a monotonous diet runs directly counter to that. It simply isn't natural, and is the main reason most conventional diets just don't work in the long run.

THE RIGHT WAY TO DIET

The right way to diet is to think of dieting as a system of correct eating. Your diet should include a balanced plan for a variety of foods, taken in moderate amounts, and in the proper combination. Eat when you're hungry, not when the clock says it's lunch or dinner time.

So forget the fad diets that don't work and get started on planning a diet that you can stick with over the long term. This is the balanced approach to good health and nutrition, and it's an approach that you can live with for the rest of your life.

Hiram Perez has made good health a lifelong study. Find other simple and common sense techniques to improve your health by signing up for a free 5-part email mini-course at the Balance Your Health website.

Related Links:

Avoid These Five Common Weight Loss Mistakes

You Are What You Eat

Why Many Fat Free Diets Do Not Work

Vegetable Diets: Facts For Fitness

Thursday, January 18, 2007

The Diet Dilemma. Why Diets Dont Work

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

The Diet Dilemma. Why Diets Dont Work


Lets face when it comes to overweight and obesity there are 2 basic facts we have to take into account.

First, dieting is a huge industry.

Second, Industries live by getting and keeping customers and not by loosing them.

Sounds sarcastic? Maybe it is, but the fact of the matter is that if you buy a dieting product for a specific time and you do not need it any more after, say, 6 weeks you are a lost costumer. If all customers would do the same the business would cannibalize itself by curing diseases it is living from.

And, because the above fact is a general principle in every business (keep your customers and make them buy constantly) and industry I can think about, huge amount of the players run by the same mind set. Maybe the pharmaceutical and food industry for example?

Was only a question not a statement.

Bottom-line the interest in keeping people healthy, at a healthy weight or help them through dieting to get there and stay there without a need for their products anymore is at best very limited by those who make a living out of selling things like drugs, diet food or even restaurant and fast food chains.

Keep an open mind and raise all kinds of questions before you decide to use any industry dieting product to loose weight. The common experience is that weight loss using certain products without a change in mind set (more on this later) leads to building up weight again after a short period of success.

How many times have you dieted, lost some weight just to get it back and maybe even more of it only months after you ended your diet? See what I mean?

Think about it for a moment. Why does our body store more and more fat in their tissue? Maybe because it gets nutrition it can not use up within an appropriate time?

In fact our body is a very efficient system that makes sure all cells get energy and it can survive without getting fed for some time by storing energy in the form of fat. Just in case of a famine.

If we incorporate more food on a constant basis than our body can use up, we store more and more fat in our tissue transform it into energy and let the cells use it . This in turn makes us more immobile and puts extra tear and wear on our skeleton, especially the joints.

Worse, after we gained weight our tendency for moving gets weaker and weaker, because moving becomes more and more painful.

Classical vicious cycle. The only way to balance the additional energy and prevent it from becoming stored as fat would be additional movement, that is getting the cells (especially the muscle cells) to work more and to use up more energy. Yet, this doesnt happen. We get more and more propelled into a dont move behavior.

There is a second reason for overeating that adds to the issue. Eating feels sooooo gooood. Right?

We all link massive joy and pleasure to eating. Which makes sense as it helps us survive. The problem is, that we link massive pleasure to a nutrition that doesnt keep us healthy.

Now, at some point in time the pain of being fat even if we only believe it becomes more evident and we look for a way to reduce our stored energy.

We are ready for a diet. We are ready to take some short term pain for the outlook of long term pleasure.

Now we look for a way to keep the pain at a minimum. The industry answer is often using something that makes us feel we have a full stomach. We buy the wonder drug and start dieting.

Once we done that our body starts thinking, hey, a famine and releases some of the fat to overcome the threat. All the while we consciously fight with the pain of not eating what we like to eat but are still committed to follow through.

At the end of the famine, that is at the end of your dieting you have lost weight. But now your mind and your body are sad of the famine (your body) and the pain it brought (your mind).

You deserve pleasure, so you start eating all the nice stuff you have missed so long and have linked pleasure to. At the same time your body starts to immediately store fat again, just to be prepared for the next famine.

The result is devastating. You gain your weight back quicker than you would have built it up in the first place.

This is the reason why diets usually do not work.

What you need to constantly reduce your weight to a healthy level is threefold.

First you need to switch to a nutrition that is healthy and balanced (and fast food and convenience food does not go into this category).

Second you need to stop starving (dieting) to convince your body there is no more famine to come and it does not have to exploit every piece of energy your fed it.

Third you need to find a way to turn around your beliefs about what is pleasurable and what is painful when it comes to eating.

If you dont turn your beliefs about how pleasurable eating a healthy nutrition is (yes it is really as pleasurable as any other food) and on the other side build up a belief how disgusting the old kind of food is you are not going to succeed.

Turning your beliefs is certainly the most unusual advice you heard. But it is the only way to ensure you will constantly keep your weight at a healthy level.

If you have to fight pain, if you have to fight the feeling of a loss (I can never eat chocolate) you always will link pain to where you are and as soon as the pain level gets to high you will do something against it. This do something is eat the stuff you have linked pleasure to like fast-food, chocolate or whatever.

Once you done this you feel guilty and that is painful. Guess what your reaction will be to overcome that painful guilt? Yes, eat some more as it is the pleasure of the moment that makes you overcome the pain of guilt.

Bottom line. Overweight is not resolved by dieting, overweight is resolved through change in our mind. Dieting without changing what we connect pain and pleasure to has only two effects, it ensures that the producers of diet products have a constant income stream from you and it makes sure you spend money without getting the results you expect.

Do you think it is worth a second thought if I might be right? You can have the weight you want constantly and without any effort. All you have to do is change what you link pain and pleasure to.

How? There are many ways to do this but you need some assistance either through books or, better from a real person that is trained and knowledgeable in this area like NLP practitioners or Ericsonian hypnotists (see my article about hypnosis on that topic).

This article may published freely only in its whole including all appendices.

2005 by Norbert Haag

A complimentary copy of any newsletter or a link to the site where the article is posted is greatly appreciated.

Norbert Haag is a business consultant, entrepreneur and sought after speaker for more than 20 years. His company - Online Business Coach http://www.onlinebusinesscoach.com - provides information and services for online businesses, small business owners and freelancers. You can reach Norbert at nhaag@onlinebusinesscoach.com.

Related Links:

You Are What You Eat

Why Many Fat Free Diets Do Not Work

Vegetable Diets: Facts For Fitness

Diets - Why Drastic Does Not Work