Diets - Why Drastic Does Not Work

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Diets - Why Drastic Does Not Work


How was it for you? Did you get through the Christmas Season eating sensibly, taking exercise and avoiding the usual seasonal excesses? Or, are you sitting at your desk reading this and wondering why all of your waistbands are tight?

In the Northern Hemisphere, Winter and Christmas time are traditional periods of social excess and comfort eating. The short days curtail the amount of exercise we would naturally take and the pounds have a horrible habit of piling on.

We make New Year Resolutions to diet and these fall by the wayside, usually within hours. We get on to the wonderful diet merry-go-rounddo you remember the one? The one with horses which go up and down, just like our weight.

Our bodies and their functions are governed by a wonderfully balanced mechanism called the endocrine system which is made up of glands and hormones various. It is this system which governs our metabolic rate and it is this rate which plays a huge role in determining how efficiently we can process the calories we eat.

The balance of the endocrine system can be disrupted by many things - pollutants, artificial hormones, stress and illness. Yo-Yo dieting plays havoc with this system as the famine/feast experience is not tolerated well. During famine (diet) days our metabolic rate is reduced to conserve fuel stores and energy. Unfortunately, this rate does not then immediately increase on the feast days, causing us to put on more weight than ever.

Sometimes glands of the endocrine system cease to function as they were designed. A classic example is the thyroid gland. An underactive thyroid will cause all sorts of problems including weight gain. The ovaries can malfunction, again causing weight gain amongst other symptoms. It is worth getting any unexplained weight gain investigated by your Doctor. If you know you eat sensibly (keep a food diary to check this) and that you take regular exercise but the weight is still increasing I urge you to seek medical advice.

Experience has shown that the conventional schools of medicine are sometimes not as up to date with current thinking on endocrine problems, particularly of the thyroid, as patients would both like and expect them to be. If you suspect you have a problem but find your Doctor unsympathetic there are several excellent complementary practitioners who specialise in this field. Ask around for recommendations; look for books on the subject; do some self-initiated research on the web; do whatever you can to ensure that your knowledge is up to date and that you are in a position to make an informed choice about your medical care.

If you are carrying more than 14lbs of surplus weight it is advisable to have a routine medical check up before embarking on any weight loss programme. This will include checks for diabetes and blood pressure levels.

We know we need to weigh an appropriate amount for our height and age if we are to be healthy and active. The question is, how to achieve such an ideal?

The first thing to consider is not setting up a panic response in any of the automatic systems of your body. By introducing small changes, slowly and carefully, the body will adapt without shutting down. It is important not to make too many radical changes in one go, for two main reasons:

1. Psychologically you are going to feel deprived and will then struggle to maintain the new way of being.

2. Physiologically, if it perceives a threat, your body will alter its systems to protect itself and this will mean converting more of the calories you swallow into fat.

Once you are ready to make a start, implement just one or two changes to your diet each week. Depending on your current lifestyle you may decide on any of the following:

- Cut out all fried food

- Eat a healthy breakfast

- Eat 5 portions of fruit each day

- Incorporate appropriate exercise into your day

- Cut out the take away and ready prepared meals

- Increase the number of grown above the surface vegetables you eat

- Increase fibre levels by choosing wholemeal bread and pasta rather than white

- Determine the amount of chocolate it is OK for you to eat each day and have just that amount

-Drink one litre of water each day

Dont be tempted to radically change your diet overnight. It is like stretching an elastic band - as soon as you relax, even for a minute, you will snap back into old ways of being. Be gentle with yourself and your body, incorporate one new thing each week and wait until that has become comfortable before introducing anything else. Take it one step at a time and improve your chances of achieving and maintaining that perfect weight and enjoying the associated health benefits.

Know that the extra weight you carry did not appear overnight so it stands to reason that it is not going to disappear in a hurry. Be kind to yourself and your body. Take it one step at a time.

Donnie Harrison is a UK Based Coach and Business Mentor. Donnie works with clients who are facing a life transition and who do not want to face it on their own. She describes herself as a companion on the journey of change.

In addition, Donnie specialises in working with individuals who are setting up or building a Professional Private Practice, particularly in the healthcare sector - be it traditional, alternative or complementary. More information is available at http://donnieharrison.com

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Diets Dont Work

Diet Resource Site

Diet Articles

Diets Dont Work


Any doctor worth their salt will tell you diets don't work. Plain and simple. Surprised?

Well you might be. You can't get away from all the talk about South Beach, Atkins, Low Carb, Zone ... you name it, they're talking about it. It's on TV, in magazines... everywhere you look.

And of course there are the pills, drugs and other expensive methods to lose weight. While they may be appropriate in certain cases, by and large they aren't necessary. Some can actually be dangerous to your health.

What does work, what's been proven to work time and time again is something very simple... a lifestyle change. You may not want to hear it, but it's true.

You can't eat thousands of calories, rich desserts, sugary snacks, excess fat and tons of carbs, get little or no activity and expect to lose weight with a pill!

You'll be surprised to know that you don't need to stop eating or have to exercise for hours every day to lose weight. Just a few simple lifestyle changes added daily can turn your life around quickly. You will start to lose weight within days and feel better as well.

Here are 4 tips you can use to get started today:

- Drink water.

Drinking lots of water is probably the single most important thing you can do for your health. Water delivers nutrients throughout your body, flushes toxins out of your system and aids in digestion. When you get up in the morning, start with a full glass of water before you start your day (add a little lemon if you like). Then get at least 10-12 additional glasses of water in throughout the day.

- Eat slowly.

Chew your food 10-12 times before swallowing. Your saliva starts the digestion process, and if you don't chew enough, your stomach has to work twice as hard and many times you don't get much out of the foods you eat -- except maybe some indigestion :).

- Split your entree.

When eating out, split your entree with your dining companion. Most restaurants now serve portions that are up to 8 times the recommended serving size. Supplement with a salad, soup or vegetable to complete your meal.

- Avoid sodas.

Did you know that an average soda has 14 teaspoons of sugar? Not only are these empty calories and carbs that take you on a blood sugar roller coaster and adds pounds, the sugar also can also cripple your immune system for up to 5 hours leaving your body working overtime and open to infections, viruses and the effects of stress.

Drinking one soda a day alone can pack on 16 lbs of unwanted weight! Skip that soda and watch the weight go away.

Additionally, recent studies have linked increased soda consumption with certain cancers and a loss of essential minerals from our bodies.

Mark Idzik is a health coach with a national clientele who helps his clients lose weight and make better health choices. His new report, Permanent Weight Loss Now, offers a proven way to lose weight naturally, safely and effectively. You can get more information at: http://www.Everyday-Weight-Loss.com Receive 37 Free Weight Loss Tips by sending email to: 37tips@everyday-weight-loss.com

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Diets, Diets, DietsDo They Work?


Almost everyone has attempted to follow diets and weight loss programs at some time in their lives. The trouble with so many diets and low fat diets is that they are hard to follow. Some diets leave you hungry and craving food all the time. A healthy diet is one that you feel good about following and encourages you to eat in a healthy way while at the same time reducing the overall calorie content.

When choosing from among the many diets available, keep in mind what your reason is for altering your eating and exercise habits.

Do you want to feel better and have some more energy?

Are you tired of not fitting into your clothes and that has caused you to consider one of the weight loss diets?

Experts agree that its not good to try and loose excess weight in a quick manner. Its better to take your time and incorporate a package of exercise, proper nutrition and, in general, balance.

As with all new diets, weight loss and exercise plans, its always best to consult with your physician and have a complete physical examination before starting.

There are many different diets products to choose from. Choose from only the best providers of coral calcium products that offer great prices. That way youll be guaranteed quality and they can even be shipped right to your door.

About The Author

Mike Yeager, Publisher

http://www.a1-weight-loss-4u.com/

mjy610@hotmail.com

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Diet and Exercise Tips


The formula for weight loss is unique to the individual, but the path may begin with something as simple as a tasty low-calorie recipe and a 15-minute ab routine. The below mini-guide explains body mass index, popular diets and offers simple recipe modifications.

Working the Abs

The most popular area of the body people want to improve upon is their abs. If you feel trapped in the world of the mundane sit-up, there are many different ways to work your abs without killing yourself or needing to buy convoluted machinery.

Try doing scissor crunches:

First, lay down flat on your back with your legs straight.

Next, cross your arms across your chest and sit up until your elbows contact your legs.

Start off doing 3 sets of 25 or so repetitions.

If you have an exercise partner, or desire an exercise you can do with a partner, try doing sit-ups with a ball.

Get in a sit up position and on your way up, have a friend throw you an exercise ball (5-12 pounds ideally).

Go back down with the ball, and on your way up, toss your friend the ball back.

Continue this process until your friend tells you to stop. Just kidding! Try 3 sets of 25 reps again.

Body Mass Index explained

Your weight isnt always indicative of your health and fitness level. In fact, it can be a very arbitrary number. Many experts suggest your body mass index (BMI) is a much more telling statistic because it considers your weight, height, and body type to calculate your body fat. In so doing, your BMI calculation gauges when extra pounds begin to be a health risk.

The BMI Formula: weight X (height X height) X 704.55

To calculate your body index, you divide your weight by the product of your height squared. Then you multiply by 704.55. According to BMI medical guidelines, if the number you come up with is 25 or less, you are of normal weight (if it is 18 or less, you are underweight). Body Mass Index calculators, such as the one found at http://www.arcamax.com/cgi-bin/news/page/1042/bmi can perform these calculations for you. The only information you need to enter is your sex, height, weight, and waist size.

Popular fad diets explained

There have been many diets introduced in recent years preaching that they can help you lose tons of weight in minimal time. There is weight loss success for some while others struggle to stay committed long term. The premise behind almost all of these diets (i.e. the Atkins diet, the grapefruit diet, vegan diets, etc.) is that an entire food group is being scantily used, if not, altogether cut out from a dieters list of allotted foods. Such drastic alterations in your diet could give you the short-term results youre looking for, but actually may hurt your health in the long run. For this reason, it is important to know the ins and outs of a potential diet before you decide to jump on the bandwagon.

The Atkins diet pioneered the idea of the evil carbohydrate

Vegan and vegetarian diets are often scorned for lacking protein (despite steps taken to incorporate non-carnal proteins into such diets)

Low-fat diets are faulted with providing too little fat, and consequently the body has nothing to absorb nutrients with

Weight Watchers and other such diets often require too much portion control for the casual dieter, and as a result seem destined for failure

The grapefruit diet a rather extreme example of abandoning core food groups and nutrients

Food Label Meanings

Knowing what certain words on your food label actually mean is important. Common ingredients such as flour and high fructose corn syrup actually mean refined, sugar-filled carbohydrates, or bad carbohydrates. According to health author Lee Dobbins, carbohydrates that come from fruit, vegetable, and whole grain sources often get a bad rap. However, if these foods are actually put under the microscope, there is no reason to scrutinize their nutritional value they fuel and cleanse your body.

Good-for-you Recipes

Dieting does not require cutting all of your favorite foods. If you make a few lifestyle decisions substitute low-fat or low-calorie ingredients for those ingredients that contain higher levels you can consistently eat well and not even notice. Recipe connoisseurs Kim Beardsmore and Jeff Rosales have a number of good-tasting as well as good-for-you recipes.

Spicy chicken cacciatore can be prepared and contain less than 250 calories with a recipe that naturally calls for lean chicken breast and a tomato based sauce as opposed to fatty cream sauces.

If youre looking for a breakfast suggestion, try banana toast. If you alter the traditional French toast recipe by substituting whole eggs with egg whites and by using skim milk, you have a much healthier meal.

*About the Source: The complete ArcaMax Publishing Diet and Exercise guide can be found at http://www.arcamax.com/cgi-bin/news/channel/1042. Other news and special sections available at www.arcamax.com include vacation planning, gardening, parenting tips for the new school year, and much more.

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Coconut Oil Diets


Have you heard about coconut oil diets yet? People are adding coconut oil to their diets and are getting incredible results. They are losing weight, getting more energy, and getting healthier.

Coconut oil is safe to use, and does not turn to fat in your body. It raises the metabolism, so you burn more fat and have more energy. It does not increase your cholesterol, but actually helps lower it. Coconut oil is wonderful diet addition for just about everyone.

Alexis says, Let me tell you how it has been working for me. The first thing I noticed is that I had a lot more energy. Then I started noticing that the regular exercises I had been doing suddenly started working. The fat was beginning to turn to muscle. I didn't lose weight the first week or two, but I am losing weight now! And I now have enough energy to start increasing my exercise workout times, when before it was a struggle to exercise at all. I love this diet!

"What Coconut Oil DOES NOT Do:

* Does not increase blood cholesterol level.

* Does not promote platelet stickiness or blood clot formation.

* Does not contribute to atherosclerosis or heart disease.

* Does not contribute to weight problems."

What Coconut Oil DOES Do:

* Reduces risk of atherosclerosis and related illnesses.

* Reduces risk of cancer and other degenerative conditions.

* Helps prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal (including yeast) infections.

* Supports immune system function.

* Helps control diabetes.

* Provides an immediate source of energy.

* Supports healthy metabolic function.

* Improves digestion and nutrient absorption.

* Supplies important nutrients necessary for good health.

* Supplies fewer calories than other fats.

* Promotes weight loss.

* Helps prevent osteoporosis.

* Has a mild delicate flavor.

* Is highly resistant to spoilage (long shelf life).

* Is heat resistant (the healthiest oil for cooking).

* Helps keep skin soft and smooth.

* Helps prevent premature aging and wrinkling of the skin.

* Helps protect against skin cancer and other blemishes.

* Functions as a protective antioxidant."

From Bruce Fife's Book, "The Coconut Oil Miracle".

If you would like more information on coconut oil dieting, check out the Coconut Oil Diet Secrets site at: Coconut-Oil-Diet.com.

By Dianne Ronnow, 2005 Mohave Publishing. All rights reserved.

Dianne Ronnow is an Internet marketer, author, publisher, and business professor. She has worked in the real estate and the health care industry and is particularly interested in diet and nutrition.

Her best selling book reveals how thousands of people are losing weight and getting healthier with coconut oil diets. To find out what the secrets of coconut oil dieting are, Check out her site at: Coconut-Oil-Diet.com. Get the book now and start losing weight today!

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