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Dirk Wessels asked:


I believe there are many diets out there that work and generally I can not blame the particular diet for my failed attempts in the past. Everything boils down to attitude.

All my life I have been somewhat overweight and oversized. I remember on the day of Princess Diana’s wedding some of the kids in my class asked me how much I weighed and I told them 72Kgs. This is not so bad, except that I was in grade 7 (12 years old). I stopped growing in length about 2 years after that, but by then I stood 1.92M tall. The problem is that I did not stop “growing” in weight. By the time I left school I weighed around 105KGs.

While I was at school, my mother, sister and I tried every possible diet under the sun, but nothing lasted and soon afterwards we would pick up the bit of weight we had lost during the diet.

By 1996 I had moved to Johannesburg and my mom moved up there for 1 year to fill the position of national director for Child and Family Welfare and we decided to share an apartment. On the first of February 1997 I bought a book called Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins. Many of you will probably know Anthony Robbins who, in my opinion, is the greatest inspirational speaker in the world. I sat down in a restaurant to start reading this book and I could not get myself to stop reading. Eventually, by midnight, the restaurant closed and they chased me away, so I returned home and continued reading Unlimited Power, which I finished during the course of the next day.

The book is not dedicated to weight loss at all, but Anthony does mention how he lost 36 pounds (16Kgs) in a couple of weeks and he gives one piece of advice regarding weight loss: “If you want to loose weight, buy a blender” (paraphrased). That was all the motivation I needed. The book had inspired me so much that, at that moment, I believed I could achieve anything. I took off to the shops and bought a blender, a scale and a bunch of fruit. When I got home, I told my mom what I had read in the book and that I would only be eating (drinking) fruit for the next couple of months until I had lost at least 10KGs. I also threatened that I would move out of the apartment and leave her alone in this big, scary city if she prepared any food other than blended fruit for me. Being the angel that she is, my mom agreed to this and decided to join me on my fruit diet.

On the second of February 1997 I weighed 122KGs. That was day 1, a Sunday, and I was still inspired from the book, so it went fairly easy. I don’t believe it matters what fruit you use. Many people say that bananas are fattening, but I have found that I need at least 1-2 bananas in every mix to enjoy it. Generally I add 2 apples, 1-2 oranges, 2 bananas and something like watermelon or “spanspek” into a blender and mush it all together into a fruit “goo”. Add a cup of water in the beginning to thin the mixture and add a dash of lemon juice to prevent the mixture from turning an unbearable brown color within a couple of hours.

On day 2, the Monday, I took a 2 liter bottle of fruit goo to work. This raised a couple of eyebrows as the mixture does not look very appetizing. Those few that agreed to taste it though, admitted that it actually tasted much better than it looked. However, all the stares and frowns did not bother me, as I was determined to make this diet work. The interesting thing was that by the time I got home on the Monday afternoon, I was still not hungry. Yes, in my mind I could imagine enjoying a juicy piece of steak, but physically I did not feel hungry.

I lost more than 2 Kgs in the first 2 days On the Tuesday morning I jumped on the scale and was pleasantly surprised to find that I had lost more than 2KGs. The needle on the scale rested halfway between 119 and 120KGs. In 2 days I had lost 2 KGs and I still didn’t feel hungry or deprived of food as I had on previous diets. This inspired me again and I could not wait to get to work and tell all those skeptics about my progress. Strangely enough, by the time I got to the office, I had decided not to tell anybody that I had lost 2KGs, but rather to push through and see how quickly I could loose another 2. It would, after all, be far more impressive to say that I had lost 4KGs than 2. 2 Kilograms had always been my limit on previous diets. I would loose the first 2 kilograms fairly quickly and then it would stop there. I did not have the discipline to see a diet through, but this time I was determined to get further. So I quietly walked in and tried not to draw too much attention to myself or my 2 liter bottle of fruit goo.

By the Wednesday morning I could not help myself and jumped on the scale again. My original plan was to only weigh myself once a week, but I was hopeful and again, I did not have the discipline to wait another day. Fortunately, the scale-needle god smiled on me and decided to rest just below the 119KG mark. That was 3 kilograms in 3 days!!! And I still did not feel hungry or feel the need to eat solid foods. I was on a mission here. Anthony Robbins’ advice was working and he had lost 36 pounds in a couple of weeks, so I could do the same!! Whenever I felt hungry, I simply poured another glass of fruit goo and when we got home in the evenings, my mom prepared another bottle of goo for us to share during the evening.

Less than three weeks later I had lost 10 kilograms!! Everybody at work knew and could see that I had lost weight and now, instead of laughing at the mixture I was drinking, they asked me about my diet everyday. How do you do it, what fruits do you put in that mixture, don’t you get hungry and may I taste it? Instead of laughing, these were the questions they were asking now.

During that third week, I got home one afternoon to find my mom, who had also lost around 7KGs by then, sitting in the lounge with an unusually guilty look on her face. I asked her what was wrong and she immediately looked down at the empty plate in front of her. She had bought some salty cracks (biscuits) and yes, by that time I was quite eager on putting some solid food in my mouth as well. We agreed to eat some salty cracks with cheese and tomato from then on and a week later we decided to give the diet a break, but simply to try and maintain our weight. By the 28th of February I weighed 111KGs, so I had lost 11KGs in 26 days.

During the first couple of days, I was loosing 1 kg every day. Pretty impressive, but obviously you can’t expect to keep that up. At some stage I remember my weight standing still for about 3-4 days. The scale-needle god was not smiling so brightly anymore. One morning when I got on the scale and noticed that the needle was still stuck on the same weight, I decided to move to the next level (whatever it takes, remember). Now, I’m not very big on exercise, but we did live in an apartment on the ground floor of a 10 or 12 storey building. So I jumped off the scale and ran out the front door with only my sleeping shorts and my slightly reduced stomach sticking out and proceeded to run (okay, I lie… I walked most of the way) up and down the stairs of this building. By the next morning I could see that the needle had moved a little and I continued walking/running up and down the stairs every morning. Everyone knows that exercise will help you lose weight, so that is not the great revelation I want to share with you. The point that I do want to make is that my attitude was right. I was going to lose weight!! There was no question in my mind and I believed that absolutely. Therefore, when I ran into a bit of difficulty, I did not give up as before but I simply changed my plan of action, by adding a bit of exercise to my routine and continued on.

The results I had booked a 4 week holiday in Greece for May that year and decided that I would continue to weigh myself every 2 days or so and ensure that I don’t pick up any weight before the holiday. By the time I left for Greece, I still weighed 111KGs. This may not sound important, but how many times have people told you that you should loose weight slowly or you will simply pick it up again, and more. Well, here’s my answer. I had a motivation to ensure that I don’t pick that weight up again because I wanted to look good and feel good about myself during my holiday. It worked. I don’t know how to express in words how I felt when I walked onto that beach on Myconos (the first island I visited).

Firstly, being from South Africa where we don’t have nudist beaches, just being there was quite a treat for me. Walking around without a shirt and not feeling embarrassed about the size of my stomach was absolutely amazing. For the first time in my life girls actually came up to talk to me and when I went to talk to them, they did not immediately give me a cold shoulder. On IOS, the party capital of Greece, I met a Swedish girl and we actually had a mini fling there for a couple of days. Something I had never experienced before. I left to go visit 2 other islands, but I went back to IOS and she was actually happy to see me. Again, something I was not used to before. I don’t believe anybody treated me differently because I had lost a bit of weight. In fact, I was still overweight and could have done with losing another 15-20KGs. Added to that, if you’ve seen my pic on my weight-loss blog, you’ll know that losing a bit of weight can’t change that face. Instead, I believe they treated me differently because I was more confident and at peace with myself and my own body.

In 1997 I was earning a pretty good salary, considerably more than most of my friends. Even so, between February 1997 and June 2000 my salary trippled without changing jobs. Generally people say you have to change jobs to get those sized increases, but I believe I achieved it within the same company simply because I had a newfound confidence in myself.

Success breeds success!!



Anne-Marie

Jason Hulott1 asked:


The size zero debate - where we have seen celebrities starve themselves down to what they consider is an attractive weight - is a hot topic at the moment. Appalling images of stick-thin celebrities and other figures in the public eye has sparked off a huge debate as to whether you can be a size zero and still follow a healthy diet.

Many of these famous actresses and models etc insist that they eat “just like anyone else” and reel off a list of their daily diet that includes chicken, pasta, potatoes, salad and even the odd ‘naughty’ treat such as bar of chocolate, pizza or a glass of wine

And while undoubtedly there really are a small - a very small - minority of women who are naturally stick thin no matter what they eat, for the ‘lollipop’ (ie big head on a tiny body) ladies we see in the media, they really aren’t following a healthy diet.

Starving themselves in order to ‘look good’ down to the size of a seven year old boy can have dramatic health consequences. Fasting or not eating enough food can cause periods to stop, bad skin and hair and whole list of horrifying symptoms - including death.

In September 2006, the 22 year old model Luisel Ramos died days after appearing on the catwalk. Newspapers reported how she was told that if she lost a “significant amount” of weight (she was 5ft 9in tall and weighed 7 stone when she died according to the Daily Mail newspaper) she would succeed as a model.

You don’t have to be stick thin in order to be fashionable. A grown woman with a body that has been starved in order to resemble that of a young boy is not attractive and is not healthy.

In fact, it’s more important to put the right food inside your body by following a wholesome, healthy diet and nature will do the rest and you’ll find your ideal size.

And if you are overweight or your clothes are starting to feel a bit tighter, then there are sensible diets that you can follow in order to get to your ideal weight. Missing meals or fasting are not an option.

Similarly, for the naturally thin ladies among us, by following a nutritious, healthy diet, you can ensure that you keep yourself in the optimum of health.



Shredder

Edward Chen asked:


Needless to say, cholesterol can cause major problems for the heart. When cholesterol is found in the bloodstream, the vessels become clogged. This is due to too much plaque created by cholesterol. At which state, the blood won’t be able to freely travel all over the body. When this happens, the required amount of nutrients and oxygen won’t reach the vital organs. And this condition would result in the malfunction of the organs. Sooner or later, the body would fail. The heart would try to keep that from happening by overworking itself. It would pump blood doubly hard just to get it to the right places. But later on, the heart would suffer the strain. Heart ailments would soon occur. Older individuals are more prone to heart concerns because their heart had functioned so much throughout their lifespan. However, all people, including younger individuals, should consider following a low cholesterol diet for a stronger heart.

Actually, it’s easy to create customized low cholesterol recipes. The rule of thumb is to use only food items having none to low cholesterol level. There are also some cooking and preparation techniques to follow, so that you can ensure yourself of a healthy meal. The use of oil in your prepared food should be avoided. Go for simple but healthy meals. Examples of food items and ingredients that should be present in your meals are fish, vegetables, and whole grain. Most of the foods belonging to these groups have zero cholesterol content. Use them regularly as an ingredient to your meals. And then you can live healthily.

If you have absolutely no idea as to where to start preparing your meals, here are good suggestions:

Dairy Low Cholesterol Diet Tip:

Your taste buds may want some dairy, especially during breakfast. However, these food items have high cholesterol content. But even so, you can restrict yourself to consuming low amounts of milk, yogurt, and cheese every now and then. However, you should try to avoid creams and margarine. Block them off the ingredients list of your prepared food, whenever possible. Instead, look for healthier alternatives to them. Limit your dairy essential intake. The American Heart Association requires individuals to intake no more than three servings only the necessary low-fat dairy everyday.

Oil Low Cholesterol Diet Tip:

Almost all ingredients require a dash of oil when preparing or cooking foods. This is the reason why it is a little too hard to remove oil from your low cholesterol diet plan. But if you must use oil, you’ve got to be very careful in your choices. Whenever possible, buy the one that has the least cholesterol content. Your best choice is safflower oil. Even so, you must restrict yourself to taking a maximum of eight tablespoons of this oil in a day.

Grains, Fruits, and Vegetables Low Cholesterol Diet Tip:

As far as a low cholesterol diet is concerned, wholegrain, fruits, and vegetables will compose a good part of it. The American Heart Association advises 6 servings of wholegrain, a minimum of five servings of vegetables, and four or more servings of fruits everyday. These three food groups should comprise your daily low cholesterol diet. So if you don’t like eating these foods much, you should start training yourself to like them.



Milan

MAIKEL WOOD asked:


Ever since obesity has been termed as an epidemic, it has attracted attention throughout the world. In America weight loss has become an industry. The air is thick with discussions and counter-discussions about various diet plans being proposed by various people.

There is a 5-Factor Diet, Atkins Diet, Bob Greene’s Best Life Diet, South Beach Diet, Cabbage Soup Diet, Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet, Anne Collin’s diet and now you have DASH diet and Fat Smash Diet and Size Zero Diet and …. it goes on!

Proponents of each of these diet plans make claims of how much weight you will lose and how rapidly you will lose weight. Some go to the extent of claiming that you will lose up to 10-12 lbs in a week whereas medical experts warn that such claims are ridiculous and weight loss of such proportions can come about only by losing water which is detrimental to the system. Moreover there is always the danger of gaining weight just as rapidly when you stop working on the plan.

Essentially all these plans boil down to a few basics! The body weight is contributed by fat, muscles, bones and water. Excess calorie intake is responsible for increased weight and so cut down the excess intake of calories. Increase metabolism so that stored fat can be burnt off; burn off the fat that is stored in the body by exercises and fat burning food. But do not starve the body of the essential nutrients.

Basically diet plans fall into three broad categories: the “fad diets”, those that are based on specially processed food and those that can be called as “natural diet” plans.

There is no clear definition of “fad diet”; it is very subjective. Fad diet is popularly believed to be a poor weight loss diet. A fad diet generally becomes very popular very quickly and falls out of favor just as quickly. Fad diets quite often claim very quick weight loss. Their claims for efficacy are generally not confirmed by any legitimate scientific studies. Often promoted by parties that publish books about the diet or those that sell some supplements or ingredients that are part of the fad diet, a fad diet may not achieve anything at all or at times may have an adverse effect on health.

The natural diet plan is based on use of food constituents that are normally in your diet; it recommends some of the constituents as being helpful and some others as being harmful from the point of view of weight loss. For example, it may recommend certain fish such as Sardines, herrings, etc as providing beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids or may recommend use of lean meat but not others such as pork; it may recommend low-fat skimmed milk but not the normal fresh milk. Natural diet is based on very clearly understood and recognized scientific knowledge.

The third category of diet plans mentioned above are based on use of specially processed food ingredients or supplements; this category is so highly commercialized that even if it has scientific basis at times lies on the boundary of fad diet plans.



Kate

Vienna Miller asked:


If you’ve ever read one of those magazine stories on “How Celebrities Lose Weight” you’ve no doubt read about The Zone Diet. Many celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Vanessa Williams, Ali Landry, and Jenny McCarthy have all used Dr Sears’ Zone diet to lose weight and maintain their figures.

Is the Zone diet right for you? Here’s a quick review to help you decide:

One of the most popular diets on the market, the Zone diet was created by biochemist Barry Sears and is based more on controlling hormone levels than on counting calories.

Sears believes (as do many other weight loss experts) that most people are insulin-resistant. Insulin is a hormone our body makes to balance our blood sugar and, among other things, promote fat storage.

Too many carbohydrates (especially the bad carbs like muffins, pasta, chocolate, cookies, etc.) cause a spike in blood sugar. This in turn causes a high load of insulin to be released and thus, extra fat to be stored.

When someone becomes insulin resistant, this worsens the problem because even more insulin must be released to get the same effects as before. This causes weight gain, health problems, less than peak performance and stubborn fat deposits that just won’t budge.

The Zone diet aims to help people lose weight by controlling their insulin levels and giving them optimum nutrition that promotes fat release and peak performance. Unlike Atkins, it is not a low-carbohydrate diet - more of a balanced, good carbohydrate diet.

The diet aims to balance the intake of protein, good (low-glycemic) carbohydrates and a moderate amount of monounsaturated fats.

Zone diet meals follow a strict ratio of 40% good carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein (also referred to as the 40:30:30 ratio). According to Sears, this keeps your insulin levels low and helps your body stay in the Zone of peak performance with maximum fat burning.

Zone followers eat 5 times a day, 3 meals and 2 snacks. Every meal and snack should have the 40:30:30 ratio of low-fat protein, favorable carbohydrates (like vegetables and fruit), and a dash of “good” fat. Sears also advises that you don’t go more than 5 hours without eating and that you should eat within an hour of waking.

Benefits:

People who try the Zone have claimed to lose 5 pounds in the first 2 weeks followed by 1 - 2 pounds every week after the initial startup.

Other benefits include more energy and a general improved feeling of well-being. This makes sense since you’re not getting the blood sugar swings that can make you feel tired or shaky.

It’s also important to note that you don’t get the brain fog that many low carbohydrate diets can cause. Eating a diet in the Zone is also reported to help stave off the ravages of aging.

Drawbacks:

The only problem with following the Zone is that the strict 40:30:30 ratio can be difficult to follow - especially if you don’t have a lot of time to devote to meal preparation.

One way many Zone fans get around this is by using Zone Meal Delivery Services. There are several Zone meal delivery services, each offering different prices and different menu plans. If you decide to use a delivery service, make sure you choose one that fits your needs and pocketbook.

Conclusion:

For all intents and purposes the Zone Diet is a healthy way to lose weight, allowing a bit of everything in balance. It’s not a quick fad diet but more of a way of living and feeling at your best. While it can be a bit labor intensive, Zone devotees say they not only lose weight but have increased energy and well-being when they eat ‘in the Zone’.



Linda

Jackie Serta asked:


The race to fitness is on and a lot of people are getting into the band wagon. Some people do it to achieve a sexy body, some people just do it because they are embarrassed with the body they have now, while others do it simply to remain fit and heatlthy. As such, many fitness programs are out in the internet, in gyms, spas and fitness centers all over. Some are too expensive to afford that one may even lose weight just by trying to work out the money needed to pursue these fitness programs.

One may not have to go to the gym or the spa or any fitness center and spend much just to slim down to obtain that longed for sexy body. There are many books available in the bookstore which offer weight loss programs which are convenient and for free, of course the books are not though. These weight loss programs, or diet plans are gaining immense popularity with so much publicity, testimonials and reviews that one may be confused which exactly to follow. So before choosing which weight loss plan to follow, try reading these summaries about the most popular diet programs out today.

Atkins’ New Diet Revolution by Dr. Atkins. This weight loss program encourages high protein diet and a trim down on the carbs. One can feast on vegetables and meat but should fast on bread and pasta. One is also not restricted against fat intake so it is okay to pour in the salad dressing and freely spread on the butter. However, after the diet, one may find himself lacking on fiber and calcium yet high in fat. Intake of grains and fruits are also limited.

Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet by Drs. Heller. This diet plan advocates low carbohyrate eating. Approves on eating meats, vegetables and fruits, dairy and grain products. however, warns against taking in too much carb. “Reward” meal can be too high on fats and saturated fats.

Choose to Lose by Dr. Goor. Restrains fat intake. One is given a “fat” budget and he is given the liberty on how to spend it. It does not pressure the individual to watch his carbohydrate intake. Eating meat and poultry as well as low-fat dairy and seafoods is okay. A go signal is also given on eating vegetables, fruits, cereals, bread and pasta. This weight loss plan is fairly healthy, good amounts of fruits and vegetables as well as saturated fats. Watch triglyceride levels though; if high, trim down the carbohydrates and tuck in more of the unsaturated fats.

The DASH Diet. Advocates moderate amounts of fat and protein intake and high on carbs. Primarily designed to lower blood pressure, the diet plan follows the pyramid food guide and encourages high intake of whole wheat grains as well as fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy. Some dieters think it advocates too much eating to procure significant weight loss.

Eat More, Weigh Less by Dr. Ornish. Primarily vegetarian fare and strictly low-fat. Gives the go signal on the “glow” foods but warns to watch it on non-fat dairy and egg whites. This diet is poor in calcium and retricts consumption of healthy foods like seafoods and lean poultry.

Eat Right for Your Type. Interesting because it is based on the person’s blood type. recommends plenty of mest for people with the blood type O. Diet plans for some blood types are nutritionally imbalanced and too low in calories. And for the record, there is even no proof that blood type affects dietary needs.

The Pritkin Principle. Focused on trimming the calorie density in eating by suggesting watery foods that make one feel full. Eating vegetables, fruits, oatmeal, pasta, soups, salads and low-fat dairy is okay. Although limits protein sources to lean meat, pseafood and poultry. Although it is healthy by providing low amounts of saturated fats and rich amounts of vegetables and fruits, it is also low on calcium and limits lean protein sources.

Volumetrics. For low-density calorie eating. Recommends the same foodstuff as Pritkin but restricts fatty or dry foods like popcorn, pretzels and crackers. This plan is reasonably healthy given the high amounts of fruits and vegetables as well as being low in calorie density and saturated fats.

The Zone. Moderately low on the carbs yet moderately high on the proteins. Encourages low-fat protein foods like fish and chicken plus veggies, fruits and grains. It is also healthy but lacking in grains and calcium.

Weight Watchers. High carbohydrates, moderate on fats and proteins. A very healthy diet plan and very flexible too. it allows the dieter to plan his own meal rather than give him a set to follow.



Deke

MN Nikk asked:


One of the important things you can do for your overall health is to eat a healthy diet. Your diet affects your weight and increases your risks of health diseases. Deciding a healthy diet is easier to say than to do because it is tempting to eat less healthy foods. Different people decide different healthy diet because you might eat this kind of diet while others just cannot stand the food you eat and find its alternative. That’s what health experts are here for, to let us know which food are healthier than others.

What are the principles of healthy eating?

Know What Healthy Food Is and How You Should Eat

When pursuing a healthy eating plan, you should remember the following:

1. Try and Eat a Variety of Different Colored Food - You should remember that different foods have different nutritional values. Food can be rich in antioxidants or Vitamin C. So, when you go to do your regular weekly shop, try and see what different colored foods you can pick up.

Down the fruit and vegetable aisle you should see greens, yellows, oranges and reds. You should have as much of a color variety in your trolley as you can. For example, when picking out fruit pick up strawberries, oranges, pineapple, apples, blueberries and bananas and you will notice what a large color selection you actually have. The same goes for vegetables. Basically, more color means that it is better and healthier for you.

2. Eat Foods from All Food Groups - The problem with many diets these days is the fact that they tell you to cut certain foods from certain food groups, out of the diet altogether. This means that you lose important nutrition and don’t eat as healthy as you could be. So, the answer to a healthy diet is to eat a variety of different foods.

Generally, fruit and vegetables should make up the main portion of your diet but you still need carbohydrates such as potatoes, meat or fish and a little bit of fatty foods like flaxseed oil which many experts recommend as part of a good fat diet. Overall, a diverse mixture of all food groups is needed for a healthy diet!

3. When You Need to Eat Snack, Do It on Healthy Foods – It doesn’t mean that just because you want to lose weight, you’ll have to skip your snack. In fact, snacking can actually be quite good for you just as long as you are eating the right foods.

Generally, when we want to eat snack, we reach for a biscuit or a packet of crisps. However, if you want to eat a healthy snack, then you will have to swap those for nuts, seeds or fruit and vegetables. That way you will get energy, you will also be full until your next meal time and it will be completely healthy.

Since you know what foods you like and what you don’t, you really have to decide for your own healthy eating plan. However, the said tips above can help you to choose the best healthy eating plan for you.

If you are switching to a healthy eating plan, then a Proactol™ can help you. Proactol™ is new clinically proven weight loss product that can help you cut down your fat intake by 28% of your dietary fat intake when taken after food. You don’t have to deprive yourself of foods you love to eat healthy. Just eat the food you like in moderation and take Proactol™ to deal with your diet effortlessly.

Practicing a sensible weight loss is not just taking a diet pill - you should live for a long-lasting healthy lifestyle.



Armandino

Tracie Johanson asked:


If you’re one of the approximately 67% of Americans that are wired into the internet, there’s a good chance that sometime in the last 24 hours you’ve received at least one spam email promoting the latest and greatest diet pill or weight loss program. These diet products promise fast weight loss results, often without any effort or exercise. The never-ending promise of a weight loss pill that actually works keeps us hoping for eventual success.

At the same time, we’re continually inundated with news of the most recent diet and how this time it’s really going to work for us. The South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, the Atkins Diet, the Low Carb Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet, the Mediterranean Diet, the LA Weight Loss Diet, the Weight Watchers Diet, the Diabetic Diet, the Low Cholesterol Diet, the Prescription Pill Diet, the 3 Day Diet, the Low Fat Diet, the High Protein Diet, the Maker Diet, the Liquid Diet, the Grapefruit Diet, the Fad Diet, the Blood Type Diet, the GI Diet, the Vegetarian Diet, the Vegan Diet, the Detox Diet, the Dash Diet, the Candida Diet, the Gluten Free Diet, the Hollywood Diet, the Negative Calorie Diet, the 1200 Calorie Diet, the Raw Food Diet, the Phentermine Diet, the High Fiber Diet, the Macrobiotic Diet, the Science Diet, the Lemonade Diet, the Scarsdale Diet, the Diverticulitis Diet and the Fat Flush Diet are all examples of diet plans that promise to help us achieve quick weight loss.

Crash diets, weight loss pills and get-thin-quick gimmicks are more prevalent than ever, yet two-thirds of our population is still overweight. Even more startling is the fact that approximately one-third of the people in our country are clinically obese.

With all of these ‘solutions’ available to us, why is it that obesity trends have been alarming enough to prompt the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) to label obesity a national epidemic? Why are we still, as a nation, getting fatter? It’s certainly not because we’re not trying.

On the contrary, as a nation we’re trying harder than ever to lose fat through diet and other weight loss products. As reported by CNN on 1-14-05 “Americans were expected to spend more than $40 billion in 2004 on weight control pills, gym memberships, diet plans and related foods, estimates Marketdata Enterprises, which studies the weight loss industry.” Furthermore, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that 80 percent of overweight individuals and almost 87 percent of obese individuals are trying to lose or maintain their weight.

As reported by mygoals.com, 80 percent of Americans made a New Year’s resolution in 2005. A whopping 26 percent of those resolutions were to improve overall health and fitness, making this the top category for self-improvement. This year was no anomaly, either, according to Amy O’Connor, deputy editor of Prevention magazine: “Fifty-nine million people every year resolve to lose weight.”

So, is there a healthy diet product out there that will actually work? More than likely, the answer is yes. Although there is quite a bit of fraudulent weight loss merchandise on the market today, there is also (somewhere out there) a diet program and weight loss plan that will work for us. The challenge is to find that diet product or diet plan.

-> Repeat Business:

The diet and weight loss industry is a huge money making machine. According to Marketdata Enterprises, the annual revenue for the diet industry was over $30 billion dollars in 1990. A 2005 report by Stanford University documents that the consumer diet industry is now approximately $44 billion and growing. With all this money flowing around, haven’t we as a country spent enough to fix the obesity problem once and for all?

How can the diet industry keep making more and more money, year after year? After all, $44 billion dollars is a lot of cash! The answer to that question is simple: repeat business. “98% of today’s dieters gain the weight back in 5 years. 90% of those individuals end up gaining back more than they lost originally, due to the body’s panic and efforts to stabilize metabolic rates over the long term” (Source: Stanford University; stanford.edu).

How do the diet-promoters get all that repeat business? The diet industry is a very unique enterprise in that, when it fails someone, they rarely blame the product. We are hard-pressed to find another business where, if the product doesn’t work, we blame ourselves. All too often, after giving up on yet another diet program, we find ourselves thinking “Well, I guess I’m just not a good enough dieter.” The tendency is for us to believe that we failed the diet rather than the other way around.

Apply this same logic to the automotive industry, and it soon becomes clear just how faulty this line of reasoning really is. What would happen if we take our car in to the mechanic for repairs and when we returned to pick it up he told us that although we still had to pay the bill, he was unable to fix the problem? Would we willing pay the bill anyway and just say “Oh well, I guess it’s just a bad car?” Of course not! That would be ridiculous! But that’s exactly what we do when it comes to diets.

-> One Size Does Not Fit All:

What we need to realize is that there is probably a weight loss product or weight loss plan out there that will work for us, but it may not be the same one our friends or co-workers used. To find the best weight loss program for us, we absolutely must realize that one size does not fit all. What worked for our sibling or spouse may not work for us, and what works for us may not work for them.

It’s probably safe to say that any diet supplement has helped somebody, but it’s also true that no weight loss drug or plan has helped everybody. Each person has a unique metabolism and very individual nutritional needs, so no single plan will work for everyone.

-> How To Find The Right Weight Loss Diet:

Some fat burner products on the market today do indeed work. Others are a complete rip-off. How do you tell the difference? Where do you go for accurate and reliable weight loss information?

First and foremost, talk with your doctor. Your own personal physician is likely to be honest with you and provide you with the facts. In addition, he or she can help you decide which weight loss supplement may be right for your personal situation.

There are also quite a few reputable organizations that provide accurate information on fat loss. Some of the better resources include: * American Cancer Society - www.cancer.org * Centers For Disease Control - www.cdc.gov * Diet Scam Watch - www.dietscam.org * Calories Per Hour - www.caloriesperhour.com * Harvard Medical School - www.health.harvard.edu * Mayo Clinic - www.mayoclinic.org * Shape Up America - www.shapeup.org * Calorie Control Council - www.caloriecontrol.org * President’s Council On Physical Fitness - www.fitness.gov

When seeking a healthy weight loss plan, it’s important that no food be strictly forbidden. There should not be any (or many) foods that we avoid completely 100% of the time. Why? Because that sets us up for failure! For example, if fudge is one of our favorites and we force ourselves to NOT eat fudge at the holiday party, then for many of us what we’ve done is set ourselves up for a binge fudge-festival.

Avoiding our favorite foods entirely is a too much self-deprivation for most people, and this sets us up for binge-eating. That’s a recipe for disaster!

A much better approach is to enjoy foods in moderation. Watch those serving sizes! Enjoy and savor one piece of fudge! It’s better to enjoy one piece of fudge and then stop than attempt to deprive ourselves entirely, only to end up eating the whole pan.

A good diet and nutrition program will also help us keep in mind the cost of the foods we eat. We’re not talking about dollars and cents here, but the FITNESS cost of the food. When picking up that fudge, keep in mind what it will cost to enjoy it. When picking up a plate at the buffet table, let’s take a moment to pause and think to ourselves: “The cost of this fudge will be an extra _____ minutes of exercise…..is that worth it to me?” Maybe. Maybe not. That’s for each of us to decide on our own.

The point is that we should be conscious of our food decisions. No foods are forbidden entirely, but we do need to watch our portion sizes and carefully consider the cost of each food. Any good weight management program will incorporate these concepts and also will be approved by your doctor.

-> How To Find The Right Weight Loss Supplement:

Perhaps even more so than with weight loss diets, when searching for weight loss supplements it is critical to rely on the advice of your physician. The careful and supervised use of weight loss diet pills, combined with a sensible diet and regular exercise, can lead to quick weight loss and even easy weight loss (or at least easier than you expected).

Beware, however, the supplement scams on the market. It seems that every time we turn around we are blasted and bombarded with the latest, greatest, new and improved treatment for obesity. The gimmicks just keep coming. The sad truth is that few of these products work. Even fewer will result in real, permanent and lasting fat loss. A very few of the weight loss gimmicks on the market today are not only a consumer rip-off, but they are also quite dangerous…..even deadly.

As an example, consider the prescription diet drug Meridia. Does it help you lose weight? For some people, the answer is yes. For others, the answer is no. Can it kill you? The answer to this question seems to be a nervous ‘maybe’. “The consumer group Public Citizen had petitioned the Food and Drug Administration for a ban, citing Meridia users who died of heart problems as young as their 20s and 30s. Even before Meridia was approved for sale, the FDA knew it could increase users’ blood pressure, the group contended.” (Source: cnn.com)

This week the FDA again refused to ban Meridia, even though whistleblower David Graham (an FDA drug safety officer) testified to Congress last fall that his agency was allowing five unsafe medicines to stay on the market, including Meridia.

Another example of a dangerous weight loss drug is ephedra. Ephedra was banned in the United States last year, in part due to numerous deaths attributed to this popular weight loss supplement. On April 14 2005, a federal Judge in Utah reversed the short-lived ban on ephedra. Within minutes, spammers were filling our email boxes with messages to BUY BUY BUY before ephedra was banned again.

Yes, ephedra will help some people lose weight. Yes, ephedra is safe for some people in low doses. But there is that little nagging fact that people have DIED and that their deaths have been attributed to ephedra use…..

Yet another example of a dangerous diet drug is steroids. For whatever reason, some people have decided that anabolic steroids are the best way to lose weight. Despite the well-documented and serious side-effects of steroid use, the lure of easy weight loss has caused many to throw caution to the wind. Perhaps the most concerning trend is steroid use among our teenage population: “Teens also listed steroids, growth hormone, amino acids and other potentially unhealthful products among those they’d tried in the previous year.” (Source: cnn.com)

There do exist, however, some diet supplements that work and are also quite safe. Again, it is never a good idea to begin any supplementation program without first seeking the advice and approval of your doctor.

Three popular and dependable fat loss products designed to help you lose weight fast are ChromeMate, Lipotropic Plus and Super L-Carnitine.

Chromium helps insulin metabolize fat, turn protein into muscle and convert sugar into energy. ChromeMate, a unique form of niacin-bound chromium, is designed to optimize energy output. It accomplishes this by increasing the amount of glucose available for energy production nearly twenty-fold. It also is the “master” nutrient for controlling blood sugar, which in turn curbs sugar cravings. What’s more, a study at Auburn University showed that ChromeMate reduced LDL cholesterol by an average of 14%. In fact, ChromeMate has been awarded a patent for lowering cholesterol.

The Lipotropic Plus Formula is scientifically-engineered to assist in the breakdown, distribution and burning (oxidation) of fatty acids. The active ingredients actually accelerate the fat-burning process by breaking down fat cells into smaller particles (emulsification) to be used for fuel during exercise.

Super L-Carnitine is essential for fat burning. I.B. Fritz and K.T.N. Yue, physiologists from the University of Michigan, discovered that Carnitine actually accelerates fat-burning. Without it, fat is unable to penetrate the walls of the mitochondria of the muscle cells. Carnitine is the shuttle that carries fat into your body’s furnaces (muscles) to be burned for energy. Super L-Carnitine increases the rate of fat utilization for fuel.

-> Weight Loss Exercise:

In this article we’ve been discussing weight loss diets and weight loss supplements. At this point it is essential that we add the third and most important component of overall health and fitness: exercise.

Exercise is one weight loss method that has never been banned, has never led to an investigation, and has never been been listed on a ‘whistleblower’ fraud report.

Exercise is the only path to health and fitness that virtually every doctor in the world agrees upon. Exercise is safe, effective, and brings many more benefits to our lives than diets or drugs ever will alone. Exercise is fun, invigorating, motivating and the single most powerful way to improve our life and well-being!

Yes, it’s quite possible to lose weight without participating in regular exercise. However, diet and exercise combined will help us burn fat faster than we thought possible! Weight loss achieved by regular exercise and diet will be healthy weight loss because of all the benefits we obtain from regular exercise:

1. Strengthens muscles 2. Strengthens bone 3. Strengthens ligaments 4. Strengthens tendons 5. Strengthens immune system 6. Improves muscle tone 7. Improves endurance 8. Improves strength 9. Improves self esteem 10. Improves confidence 11. Improves balance 12. Improves physical appearance 13. Improves physical performance 14. Improves glucose tolerance 15. Improves circulation 16. Improves memory 17. Lower risk of heart disease 18. Lower risk of diabetes 19. Lower risk of cancer 20. Lower blood pressure 21. Lower cholesterol 22. Lower risk of stroke 23. Lower risk of osteoporosis 24. Lower risk of osteoarthritis 25. Lower requirements for medication 26. Lower risk of injury 27. Lower bodyfat 28. Helps with sleep disorders 29. Reduces post-operative complications 30. Reduces frequency of illness 31. Prevent Alzheimer’s disease 32. Prevents muscle loss 33. Increases metabolism 34. Eases symptoms of menopause 35. Healthier pregnancy 36. Fewer problems with childbirth 37. Reduces ovulation problems 38. Prevents heartburn

Reaching your ideal weight via a healthy and active lifestyle has been found to lower health risks and medical problems in 90 percent of overweight patients. In addition to the exercise benefits listed above, fit people are eight times less likely to die from cancer than the unfit, and 53 percent less likely to die from other diseases. Fit people are also eight times less likely to die from heart disease.

Without a doubt, regular exercise is the most important piece of the puzzle and the best way to achieve rapid weight loss. Exercise is the safest way to achieve permanent fat loss, and when combined with a sound diet and nutrition program the body is turned into a virtual fat-burning furnace!

-> Conclusion:

Fast weight loss is possible if we, under the supervision and approval of our doctor, combine a sensible diet with a diet pill or weight loss pill that is safe and effective. When we combine these three fat-burning strategies it is almost guaranteed that we will experience quick weight loss results.



Iain

Stephen Morgan asked:


Throughout the majority of the Western World the incidences of High Blood Pressure, Stroke and Cardiovascular problems are rising. The main culprit it would appear (according to experts) is the Western Diet.

After much in depth research the conclusion that most Scientists and experts have agreed upon is that our great and glorious diet is actually a sleeping disaster waiting to happen. I think the expression is Living La Dolce Vita, Life at the full and too much of almost everything that we enjoy.

Is this a rather depressing fact or not?

It is not all bad news and if we examine most studies and read between the lines and take the findings and result carefully, we can find that we can do something about all of this. We do not have to sit back and just let all of this happen to us without doing something positive about it.

The approach to dietary influences upon High Blood Pressure almost changed overnight with the publication in 1997 in the New England Journal of Medicine of the Dietary Approaches to stop Hypertension (DASH). Here at last was empirical evidence that through the adoption of a careful diet we could positively influence how we are affected by High Blood Pressure

The DASH Diet

The JNC (Joint National Committee on Health) adopted the results and findings of this study in such a positive and glowing manner that all citizens were recommended to follow what has since become known as the DASH Diet. The key recommendation here is that all people not just those suffering from High Blood Pressure should follow these dietary principles.

The diet proposes a regime that is low in Fat, and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Apparently the results of this plan were so impressive that those who were part of the initial study group quickly experienced a significant lowering in the levels of their Blood Pressure.

The initial volunteers on this study group were chosen from a random population of people suffering from Hypertension ad were randomly assigned three various dietary programmes to follow. The first was based on the conventional American diet that was 37% of the calories provided from fatty products. The second group was allocated a programme largely the same but with the additional benefits of added fruit and vegetables. The third group was allocated to the programme that later become known as the DASH Diet. This was 27% of the calories from fat, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, low fat or non fat dairy products and finally small amounts of meat, fish, poultry and nuts.

It is not surprising when you analyse the study which particular group emerged with the best results with the DASH group experiencing bigger drops on Blood Pressure levels that the others.

What was really remarkable about the findings of this study is the results published were actually on a par or better than results published as a result of Pharmaceutical Trials for new drugs. Not bad eh?

So it would appear that now the evidence is actually in front of us, we can do something about our health (not just more exercise, though this is undoubtedly good too!) through what we actually consume.



Steve B

Jill Miller asked:


If you have tried every so-called healthy diet plan on the planet and every exercise program from the latest fitness guru and repeatedly failed to achieve your weight loss goals, you probably need a “healthy diet check up…from the neck up.”

There’s no such thing as a healthy, fast, weight loss diet plan. Successful weight loss doesn’t just happen. It took more than a few days to reach the point where you are at right now. Give yourself a break and expect it to take awhile before you see measurable results. Take a leap of faith and follow some basic principles in your diet plan.

Begin with your “self talk.” This is the conversation that runs through your brain continuously. What kind of conversation do you have with your self talk? What type of negative self talk has kept you from reaching your weight loss goals in the past?

If you had a chance to do it over again, would you change the dialogue? That’s a no-brainer isn’t it? Well, the good news is that you can turn the tide of negative self talk beginning right now. It’s never too late to begin and you start by reprogramming your self talk and beginning a whole new weight loss diet plan.

A good starting point is to begin with positive affirmations. Positive affirmations, spoken aloud with authority and belief, positively affect your attitude, focuses your thinking and lead to a course of action that will help you become the person you want to be and have the things that you want to have.

Begin by writing your weight loss affirmations on paper. You can begin with something like, “I want to lose 25 pounds before Christmas.” That’s a worthy goal and attainable, but we need to put some work into structuring the affirmation.

First of all, “I want” gives the impression that what you desire is always in the future. In order to re-program your self talk, you need to trick your mind into believing that you have already achieved weight loss success. This is how your subconscious mind functions.

Your subconscious mind has no capacity for understanding the concept of time. Everything is in the moment. . .here and now. When you tell your subconscious mind that you “want”, that is exactly what you will get. . .want. . .without ever achieving fulfillment. Unless you change your mental tape recorder, you will achieve exactly what you are telling your subconscious, that you “want to lose 25 pounds.” You will “want to lose 25 pounds” for the rest of your days unless you change your self talk.

If your weight is 150 pounds and you desire is to weight 125 pounds, then you need to “be” 125 pounds from the moment you make the decision to change your self talk. What if you write your affirmation to read something like this: “I am healthy and fit, weighing 125 pounds.”

It is extremely important that your affirmation is crystal clear because what you affirm is exactly what your subconscious mind will bring you.

You needn’t limit yourself to one affirmation either. Write another one that reflects your new exercise program. “I enjoy my healthy new diet plan,” or, “I love the healthy foods I eat.”

Write and rewrite until you are absolutely certain that you have written your weight loss goals “in the here and now” AND represent precisely what you desire. Only then do you begin to speak it aloud and do so several times a day.

Remember to use the present tense. “I acknowledge achievement in all my weight loss goals.” “I have the skill and talent to exercise every day.” “I am a winner.” “I am grateful for all of my accomplishments no matter how small.”

At first you will feel awkward and uncomfortable and you may not feel or believe what you are saying. It doesn’t matter, continue to speak them aloud with as much conviction as you can muster. It’s taken a long time to train your subconscious to use negative self talk. If you will persevere with speaking your affirmations aloud, firmly and confidently, you will be amazed at how quickly you can turn your thoughts around.

You didn’t hop on a bicycle the first time and just take off down the street. It took practice to train your body to balance on those two wheels. This will take some practice as well. Continue to repeat your affirmations aloud, several times a day for the next 30 days and you will be amazed at how much you change your thinking and attitude.

Above all, take action. Do nothing and nothing gets done. Do something and many things are placed in motion.

Regardless of what you are doing in life, you need to take action. Do something every day to put your plan into motion.



Grace