Weight Loss

By P. Mehta

You gain weight when your calorie intake is more than your
calorie expenditure. But if this calorie equation is reversed,
then it results in "negative calorie" balance in your body. In
this negative calorie case, you expand more calories than you
take in, resulting in a decrease in the stored calories in the form
of body fat, and you experience a weight loss. About 10% of
daily caloric intake is used to process foods in the body. You can
expand more by doing physical activities.

There are certain foods that show negative calorie effect because
the body has to expand more energy to extract calories from these
foods. The negative calorie foods need more calories to break down
the foods and digest than the calories the foods actually contain.
The extra calories are taken up from the stored fat in the body. Thus
the negative calorie foods (may also be called as minus calorie foods
or fat burning foods) are ideal for reducing the body fat and for
losing weight.

Let us take an example. A piece of dessert consisting of 300 calories
may require only 150 calories to be digested by our body, resulting in
a net gain of 150 calories which is added to our body fat! So if you eat
100 calories of a food that requires 150 calories to digest, then you have
burnt an additional 50 calories simply by eating that food. These 50
calories are used up from the stored fat in your body!

These foods are widely available in nature. Some of the foods from the
list of negative calorie foods (about 100 in number) are: asparagus, broccoli,
beets, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, carrot, garlic, papaya,
spinach, turnip, zucchini, apples, oranges, lettuce, grapefruit, pineapples,
strawberries, and raspberries.

It is a great idea to eat these negative calorie food items to your full
satisfaction without counting calories. Include these foods in your daily
diet and plan your diet according to food pyramid. You will be amazed to see
the fast weight loss results. You can follow negative calorie diet plan for
safe and permanent weight loss.

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

Copyright 2004 P. Mehta, www.fatfreekitchen.com


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This article has been written by http://www.fatfreekitchen.com.


For more information on negative calorie foods visit the web site
Negative calorie Foods.
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Posted by Orce37 at 6:40 AM | Permalink | Comments

By Sheila Dicks

20 WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT

1. Take it one step at a time

Start by paying attention to what you eat. Cut back on fat and sweets and add more fruit and vegetables. After you have that under control, add exercise. If you hate to exercise try it for only 15 minutes a day at first, then a 1/2-hour. Keep in mind that while you are exercising you are burning calories and not eating. Also, it will be easier if you chose an activity that you enjoy.

2. Find a friend

It is always good to have support when you are trying to lose weight. Find a friend who wants to lose weight and compare notes, weigh-in together and maybe even have a contest.

3. Use weights

Working out weights will build muscle and raise your metabolism so you will burn more calories. Also, muscle takes up less space than fat so you will be smaller ( but probably weigh more).

4. Eat fewer carbs

Don't eat as much bread and pasta and you will see a difference.

5. Set a goal

Set a deadline to lose the weight and write it down. For example, ' By Dec 14/04 I will weigh 150 lbs or less'. Put it somewhere you will see it daily.

6. Give up soda

If you drink a soda or 2 a day you are adding empty calories. If you find it hard to stop
completely, cut back at first and drink water instead.

7. Grill or boil

Avoid fried meat, grill and use lots of spices. You will get used to it and probably enjoy it more.

8. Don't buy junk food

When you go shopping, don't go on an empty stomach and you will be less likely to buy junk food. Keep your home 'junk food free' so you won't be tempted to indulge.

9. Eat breakfast

Consume most of your calories early in the day and always eat breakfast. Don't eat after 8pm and
not only will you avoid those added calories but you will sleep better.

10. Give yourself a treat

When you tell yourself that you can't have something you want it more. Give yourself a treat once a day ( ie. half a cookie) and you won't feel you are missing out.

11. Use smaller plates

Trick yourself into believing that you are eating more by using a smaller plate.

12. Drink lots of water

Drink water when you are feeling hungry and you will get that 'full' feeling.

13. Don't eat everything on your plate

Many times we eat just because it's there. Pay attention to when you have had enough.

14. Eat five or six meals a day

Eating more frequently will keep you from getting too hungry.

15. Plan your workout sessions

Write your workout sessions in your journal or planner.

16. Stay away from fad diets

Fad diets don't work. If you lose weight fast chances are that you will gain it back ( and more)
just as fast. It takes time to put it on and time to take it off.

17. Do several workouts a day

While you are watching TV do crunches and leg lifts.

18. Measure your food

If you decide to have junk food for a snack - be sure to measure and control what you eat.

19. Keep pre-cut vegetables

...and ward off those cravings.

20. Create Good Habits

It is a known fact that when we do something twenty-one times it becomes a habit. Create good eating habits.

Sheila Dicks is a wardrobe and image consultant who teaches women
how to look slimmer by dressing to suit their body type. Visit her at
http://www.sheilasfashionsense.com to download a copy of her e-book
Image Makeovers and get How to Build a Wardrobe free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheila_Dicks

Posted by Orce37 at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

By Kathy Burns-Millyard

Water plays a vital role in losing weight: It helps you feel full so you don't eat as much, it helps all of the important organs in your body dispose of waste, which in turn allows your body to burn fat better and faster.

Water has no calories, so you can have as much of it as you'd like. It also helps flush toxins out of the body, gives you more energy, and keeps your skin healthy too. Since it also helps you feel fuller, drinking water will prevent you from eating more food than you should. And of course, eating less helps you lose weight.

Some say that drinking cold water also helps boost your metabolism slightly. Theoretically: Your body needs a tiny bit more energy to warm the water, thus it could use a fraction more energy when processing it. I don't know if this is true or not unfortunately, but I personally don't think it hurts.

Here are a couple of easy ways to be sure you're drinking enough water:

First: Start your day with a glass of water. As soon as you wake up, gulp down a glass of cool water. Your body has been without fluids for 6-8 hours, so it's probably dehydrated. Drinking a tall, cool glass of water as soon as you wake up is a wonderful way to start you day. It also helps make you feel full, so you'll eat less for breakfast.

A glass of water also lets out all your digestive juices and jump starts your internal organ functionality, plus it gets your metabolism kicked in. So even if you want coffee or tea first thing in the morning, have that glass of water too. It's a great step towards losing weight.

I personally drink a big cup of water while waiting for the coffee to finish brewing.

Next: Drink a glass of water before you start a meal. Water helps make your stomach feel full, so drinking a glass before eating - or at the very least while eating - will help you eat less food.

Have another glass of water while you're having the meal. Again this is another way of making yourself full so that you can actually rise from the table eating less but feeling full just the same. Instead of drinking it one gulp, take sips after each morsel. It will help the food to settle faster so that you get that feeling that you are full faster.

Last but not least: Use a straw when you're drinking water. It actually helps you drink more without even realizing it.

Need more help with your weight loss efforts? Click here for an excellent, safe, and all natural solution.

© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Kathy is a professional published writer who covers a variety of popular topics such as health, fitness, decorating, and gardening. Find more articles by Kathy at http://www.electronicperceptions.com/new/category/free-content/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Burns-Millyard

Posted by Orce37 at 2:41 AM | Permalink | Comments

By Audrey Okaneko

As women, as we get older, our bodies change yet again on us. As they change, our bodies do not want or need as many calories as when we were teenagers. Yet we still love cheesecake, cheeseburgers, and milkshakes. So how can we have these foods while still keeping those extra pounds off?

I’ll share some of my own personal tips and secrets.

Living each day for just that day is really important. If yesterday, you overate, you can not undo that. No matter how upset you get, how much you want to change what happened yesterday, we can’t. So, forget about yesterday and think about just today.

I try to be very aware of what I’m eating. It’s so easy to eat food mindlessly, either while watching T.V., or while talking on the phone, or even while reading. When we eat mindlessly, it means that we really are not tasting or enjoying the food. Instead, take a short break and enjoy the food and become conscious of what you are eating.

Cut white breads out of your diet. When I eat bread, I eat either grain or whole wheat bread. I am a white bread lover, so it did take some getting used to, but I actually much prefer 12 grain bread over white bread now.

I am very careful how many “low fat” items I buy. Low fat products almost always have higher sugar content. When you put more sugar into your body, your body naturally craves sugar. The more you reduce the sugar going into your body, the less your body will crave it. Because of my love for chocolate, I could never be sugar free, but again I make very conscious choices. If I have a slice of chocolate cake, I try to stay away from other sugars that day.

Don’t deprive yourself. When we know we “can’t” have something, or know we “shouldn’t” have something, we want it. We think about it. We crave it. Instead of deprivation, instead think of moderation. I love Snickers bars. A trick I learned was to cut one bar into 4 pieces and then freeze it. When I want a Snickers bar, I take one piece out of the freezer and see if that satisfies my craving. Very often it does. When I want ice cream, I never put it in a bowl. Instead I take one of two spoonfuls from the container. Again, almost always I feel satisfied. I also love Starbucks. I go there twice a week. I feel very satisfied and there are some weeks I only go once a week. Again, moderation, not deprivation.

Eat more fruits and vegetables.. I have tons and tons of different salad dressings. This is one area where I do buy both fat free and low fat. I also buy tons of ingredients for the salad, lettuce, tomato, zucchini, cucumber, bell peppers, raisins, olives, broccoli, carrots and more. Oh my gosh, if it’s in the vegetable section, I buy it for salads. I do not eat salad every day, but I do enjoy salad several times a week. We do buy a lot of fruit. I love melons, peaches, grapes and cherries.

Rotate what you eat. Variety is important is not feeling deprived. Plan menus a week in advance. Most weeks, I never have the same thing twice for dinner. When you cook nice meals, you often have leftovers for lunch the next day. This premade lunch is yet another way to lower your calorie intake. A piece of chicken with vegetables is much lower in calories than the lunchmeat sandwich.

My last suggestion is about exercise. I think I’ve only met a handful of people in my entire life that say “I love to exercise”. Most of us would rather do anything other than exercise. So, turn exercise into something fun. Dancing is exercise. Bicycle riding is exercise. Swimming is exercising. Golfing is exercise. Yoga is exercising. Do you have dogs? Walk them, but go a bit longer. Walk with them for 30 minutes. There are just so many ways to turn exercise into something fun. If working out at a gym is not your thing, save your money and try swimming or biking instead. Instead of meeting a friend for lunch, meet for a walk.

Combining all of the above tips helps me be very conscious of what I’m eating and how much exercise I am getting.

Audrey Okaneko can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at http://www.scrapping-made-simple.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Audrey_Okaneko

Posted by Orce37 at 5:24 AM | Permalink | Comments

By Keith George

Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery employed to remove excess fat from body parts. It is also called lipoplasty, suction lipectomy, liposculpture or fat suction.

Generally the fat is removed from thighs, chin, buttocks, love handles (abdomen), breasts and stomach for women and chin, waist, breasts and buttocks for men.

This surgical procedure is not an alternative to exercise and dieting and should be used only to remove the stubborn fat that does not respond to exercises and diet.

Liposuction is not a weight loss method but a method to remove excess fat. 10-15 pounds of fat is removed generally. However, taking out of large amounts of fat can be dangerous at times.

There are many types of liposuction performed today like traditional liposuction, tumescent liposuction, ultrasound liposuction, super wet liposuction. All these methods employ a cannula (a blunt straw like tube) for suction of fat.

Saline water is injected into the space between muscle and fat to separate them. If the amount of saline water is less than the amount of fat to be removed it is called traditional liposuction.

If the saline water is 3 to 4 times the volume of fat to be removed it is called tumescent liposuction. Adding extra water assists the surgeon in moving the cannula back and forth to break up the fat cells. However excess water may affect the homeostasis of the body. In super wet liposuction the amount of saline water is the same as the amount of fat to be removed. This is the most popular surgical method used by surgeons.

In ultrasonic liposuction the fat is initially liquefied by ultrasound before being suctioned out. However, ultrasound methods are not popular as they sometime lead to necrosis (death of skin) and seromas (collection of yellow fluid in pockets).

In all types of liposuction either local anesthesia or general anesthesia is used. The usual anesthetic used is lidocaine. Epinephrine is also used in liposuction to reduce blood loss.

To perform liposuction the patient must be over 18 and in good health with elastic skin. If the skin is not sufficiently elastic the excess skin may have to be removed after liposuction. Generally the excess skin is removed from abdomen called abdominoplasty or tummy tuck. This leaves scar marks on the skin.

Diabetics and patients on antibiotics are advised not to undergo liposuction. Before operation the patient should not have taken any anticoagulants like warfarin, phenindione etc.

If general anesthesia is given the patient has to fast on the night before the operation. If local anesthesia is given there is no requirement of fasting. Smoking and drinking etc should be avoided.

The incisions are usually less than an inch. After operation the excess fluid takes days to weeks to drain out. During that time antibiotics and/or pain killers are prescribed.

Patient recovery varies from days to 2 months. As with all surgeries there are surgical risks in liposuction too. There are minor risk, up to 0.7%, of side effects like internal organs being scraped, seromas, necrosis, excessive bleeding etc.

Liposuction is not a weight loss method and the patient should expect realistic and not dramatic changes in appearance.

Keith George always writes about valuable news & reviews.
A related resource is http://the-liposuction.info/
Further information can be found at http://the-technichal.info/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_George

Posted by Orce37 at 12:54 AM | Permalink | Comments

By Dr. Leslie Van Romer

“I’ll do anything to lose weight. The beast? What beast? Just tell me where that beast is, and I’ll feed it.”

Hold on, a minute, my friend. Before I introduce you to the beast, I’d like to take a poll.

The question is simple: “What’s the quickest way to lose weight?” Before you read on, what’s the first thing that pops into YOUR head? No peeking now…

Fess up. What just squeaked out of your brain?

If your answer was something like dieting or watching carbs or cutting fat or exercising or positive affirmations hung up on your refrigerator door (or, better yet, bathroom mirror) “I am skinny. I am skinny. I am skinny,” sorry, you are wrong – no, silly, not wrong about being or not being skinny, but wrong about quick weight loss.

Actually, the quickest way to lose weight is to
STARVE yourself. Hey, I didn’t say the best way now, did I? Look back – I said the quickest way.

Well, that sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Who in the world would starve themselves, on purpose no less, to lose weight?

Lots and lots of people, and YOU just may be one of those people who has done exactly that—starved yourself to drop the fat—and not just once either.

“What? How could that be?” you cry.

Is there any chance that you’ve ever gone on a diet to lose weight? Or maybe even too many diets in your lifetime to count?

I hope you’re sitting down—here’s the shocker. It’s likely that every time you went on a weight loss “diet,” you lost weight because you were actually starving yourself—you restricted TOO many calories.

Or, even if you got enough calories, those calories came from foods that were empty of the right nutrients—another not-so-obvious way of starving.

Sure, your stomach can feel full, but if you don’t get the right nutrients, then you constantly crave more food—your body’s way of pushing you to get life-saving nutrition—not that YOU’VE ever had any of those mind-body-snatching cravings. 

You, with the help of your trusty teammates, Will and Discipline, may be able to beat back those overpowering “feed-me, feed-me” urges and cravings—for a while. You can do it. You can do it, you tell yourself.

Indeed, you can and do “do it.” You lose weight, and the victory of weight loss is ever so sweet. You’re feelin’ pretty darn spunky about yourself.

And then, bam! It happens again, just like every time before—starvation beckons “the beast” for help, and “the beast” rears its ugly head.

So, my friend, it’s time to meet “the beast” up close and very personal. His name: “Hunger.”

Hunger is a mighty beast. Just like Thirst and Sleeping and Breathing—all those powerful instinctive beasts have one common mission—to keep you alive.

You can’t beat back “the beast” forever. Hunger will take you over, in spite of your allies, Will and Discipline, and the result: You will eat—just a bit here and there at first. Then you will eventually fill-up on all those food favorites that you promised yourself to get out of your life—forever. Well, forever didn’t last long at all.

The scale goes up one more time, and your self-esteem plummets down. You feel like a failure once again and that old, familiar feeling creeps back—you just feel crummy about yourself.

You beat your head against the wall trying to figure out why you can’t fight “the beast,” Hunger. You figure you must be lazy or weak or just plain dumb to eat the foods that sabotage your good intentions for weight loss and health gain.

Whew! Be relieved—you are NOT lazy or weak or dumb. You are quite simply—hungry.

You did not fail—the diets failed you. Any food plan that starves you is designed to fail—“the beast” will win—every time.

If you are hungry, you will eat—sooner or later. Your hunger instinct is built into you to keep you alive.

So the next time you get hungry, instead of trying to ignore or deny or fight “the beast,” how about doing the obvious—feed “the beast” and thank it for protecting you and keeping you alive.

Oh, one little point: feed “the beast” the best—foods packed with nutrients and fiber and low on calories, instead of foods and pseudo-foods that are overloaded with fat, cholesterol, animal protein, salt, sugar, white flour, and way too many calories that love to live on your hips, tummy, thighs, and butt.

And, for goodness’ sake, stop feeding “the beast” when it is full and satisfied. Don’t overstuff it!

And what are the premium foods that satisfy “the beast,” fill you up, and sustain weight loss, as well as promote health and fitness, over the long haul of your lifetime?

One, two, three….All together now—“Whole, fresh fruits and vegetables and plant foods!” Ahhh….such music to my ears—you’re good. You are really, really good!

Oh, yeah, one more thing. Now that you KNOW the secret keys (REAL live foods) to permanent weight loss and health gain, why not take that next iddy, biddy step—put your wisdom into practice every day.

You CAN tame “the beast” and have the body you want and deserve.

All you have to do is wash, open mouth, insert, bite down, and chew!

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a health motivational speaker, writer, and lifestyle coach. Visit http://www.DrLeslieVanRomer.com for more inspiration.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Leslie_Van_Romer

Posted by Orce37 at 1:58 AM | Permalink | Comments

By Kathy Burns-Millyard

Do you find it almost impossible to stay conscious and contentious about weight and nutrition during the holidays? Of course you do. More than half of all Americans are overweight: You're not alone.

A new government study might give you a ray of hope though: The study shows that Americans gain only about one pound over the holidays. The study found that people participating were influenced by two main factors over the holidays: The level of their hunger, and the level of their activity. In other words: Those who reported being less active or more hungry during the holidays had the greatest weight gain.

So common sense says: If you can stay focused on dealing with just those two things, you'll probably win your personal holiday weight loss battle. At the very least, you'll win by not adding more weight to what's already waiting to be shed.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of weight gain," says Dr. Samuel Klein, the Director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. "Preventing the increase in weight is a lot easier and better than actually gaining weight and then trying to get it off again."

So the answer seems simple: Eat less and exercise more. The reality of implementation of course, is far more difficult.

The good news is that most of the people overestimate how much weight they'd gained over the holidays. Fewer than 10% gain 5 pounds or more.

The bad news is: The small amount of weight gained is never lost. One pound of weight gain is quite a small amount, but since it's not usually lost again: The weight adds up over time - to obesity.

Now we all know there are tons of tips out and about this time of year, designed to help us keep from putting on that extra pound or two during the holidays. Unfortunately what's usually not talked about is: The reality of day-to-day holiday stress and situations. Let's explore the tips... along with their reality checks... in depth:

Weight Loss Tip 1: Stay active. The best thing you can do is try to stick to your normal schedule and routine.

Holiday Reality Check: It's pretty hard to have any kind of decent routine in the busy months of November and December. Busy people tend to sacrafice yoga classes, long walks, and visits to the gym because they need time for extra things like decorating the house, cooking, cleaning up before the visitors get there, and of course: Shopping.

The Good News: Walking around the shopping mall and stores is great exercise, and so is cleaning the house. In addition to those activities, decorating can be quite intensive too: You're climbing up and down to hang things; lifting, lugging, and dragging boxes out of storage; bending, twisting and turning to get it all looking just right. So don't beat yourself up about not making it to the gym... you're getting plenty of activity and every little bit helps!

Weight Loss Tip 2: Don't let yourself get too hungry. If you go to a party and you're starving, everything will look even more scrumptious than normal. And of course, you'll eat much more because of it. Try starting each day with a good, solid breakfast - particularly something with protein. And when you're at the party, try muching on the veggies to help keep you feeling full. These two things will help your hunger stay under control, and will in turn help you refrain from "gorging" on anything you see just because you're famished.

Holiday Reality Check: We're all very busy during the holidays, and it's not always possible to remember to eat - let alone eat well - particularly in the morning when we may have already overslept and are now running late for everything. And eating healthy at a party isn't always possible either: Not everyone in this country serves vegetable plates, salads, or fruit bowls. Sometimes the only things in site are junk: Chips, candy, and cookies.

Here's a suggestion: Try taking your own veggie plate to a party where you know there won't be one available. A quick and easy way to do this is simply buy a bag or two of pre-cut veggies and some ranch salad dressing. Alternatively, eat a decent meal before you go to the party. Don't overdo things, but don't make it a light snack either. Eating first will help you to just "nibble" a bit on the worst of the holiday treats offered.

Weight Loss Tip 3: Stay away from the food. Literally. Just don't go anywhere near the buffet table, appetizers, or treats... and you'll be fine.

Holiday Reality Check: In most cases, the food is everywhere. And even if it's not right in front of your face, you sure can smell it! Trying to just "stay away from it" is pretty unrealistic - and it can feel like torture for some of us. And for most people: When you can't have something, you want it even more. So trying to stay away from the food will most likely just make you overindulge worse than you would have otherwise.

Try this instead: Allow yourself whatever you'd like. But with a catch. First: Take only half the amount you normally would. And take just one food item. Eat that and enjoy it without guilt. Then, wait a full 20-30 minutes before you get something else. Then repeat the process: One item, half the portion size as you normally would, enjoy it without guilt, then wait before getting something else.

Allowing yourself to eat gets rid of the mentality of "I can't have it (and thus I'm more determined to have it)" It lets you enjoy the good food and the holidays, without beating yourself up. This is healthy and can help tremendously with the way you view food and eating in general. Only taking half of it though, will help you not take in as much calories, fat, sugar or other bad stuff you usually avoid. And then waiting 20-30 minutes before you get something else will help your body realize when it's had enough... or too much. So you're much less likely to overdo things, and feel horrible physically later.

Weight Loss Tip 4: Wear cloths that are slightly tight on you. This should help you feel full faster, and keep you from eating too much food.

Holiday Reality Check: We want to wear looser cloths because we're looking forward to eating all that great food! Yes, wearing something tight might help us not go back for a second helping of potatoes... or it might ruin a favorite outfit.

In the end, how you approach this tip is up to you, and you alone. Make your decision and be happy with it.

Weight Loss Tip 5: Keep your portions small. Try to load up on salad and vegetables, and take just tiny amounts of anything else.

Holiday Reality Check: Taking just a "bite sized" amount of anything is going to put you into the have-not mental state mentioned earlier. You'll feel as if you can't have something, and you'll want it all the more.

Try the tip noted above instead: Take half the size you normally would. Trying to have just a little bite of pie will whet your appetite for more, but having a whole piece is going a bit overboard - particularly if there's 5 different pies for you to sample. So try actual sampling instead: Cut a piece half the normal size. This allows you to have a "whole slice", and more than several little bites. Then wait about 20 minutes before you go and try the next pie. Even if you end up eating a bit of all 5 pies, by having a half-sized slice of each, you've drastically cut the amount of calories, carbs and sugars compared to what you would have had with whole slices. And you'll still feel stuffed and satiated, instead of deprived and resentful.

So there you have it: 5 different, common holiday weight loss and eating tips, followed by the reality check of each, and a suggested compromise that should help you enjoy the holidays to their fullest, without depriving yourself of the great food we all look forward to.

Whatever you decide to do, remember to actually have Happy Holidays!

Need more help with your weight loss efforts? Click here for an excellent, safe, and all natural solution.

© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Kathy is a professional published writer who covers a variety of popular topics such as health, fitness, decorating, and gardening. Find more articles by Kathy at http://www.electronicperceptions.com/new/category/free-content/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Burns-Millyard

Posted by Orce37 at 6:19 AM | Permalink | Comments