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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

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

Chung Leong Yu asked:


Fitness is on the rise now and everybody is beginning to take note of it. There are many reasons people exercise, some wants to look sexy like celebrities, some wants to change how they look because they are shy of their own body and some pursue fitness just for health sake. Catering for this increasing demand, many fitness programs have been created and made available to the public through bookstores, internet, gyms and health clubs. Some of these programs are over priced and are not really researched and developed.

Since these weight loss programs are so easily available, you do not really have to go to a gym just to exercise and lose weight. There are many weight loss programs out there that can help individuals that want to get fit. The problem is that there are too many programs out there and this makes people hard to decide which one to follow. Here are some summaries on some popular weight loss programs out today.

Atkins New Diet Revolution by Dr. Atkins.

This is a low carb high fat diet. One can eat as much vegetables as possible and meat, but cut out the carbohydrates. Foods like bread, pasta, cereal and rice are not allowed but you can go crazy on the salad dressing and bacon because there is no limit on fat. But be careful, at the end of the program, you will feel deprived of fiber and calcium. Do not forget, fruits and grains are also not allowed.

Carbohydrate Addicts Diet by Drs. Heller.

This is another low carbohydrate eating plan. The only thing different from the Atkins diet is that it allows fruits and grain products. Just be careful on the carbohydrates and do not over load on the reward meal because they tend to be too high on fats and saturated fats.

Choose to Lose by Dr. Goor.

This is a diet where fat is restrained. Participants are given a fat budget and he or she is given the freedom to spend it. There is no limit on the carbohydrate intake on this diet. One can also eat meat, poultry and low fat dairy including seafood. Vegetables, fruits, cereals, bread and pasta are allowed. This is a fairly healthy fat loss plan but watch triglyceride levels though. If high, trim down the carbohydrates and tuck in more of the unsaturated fats.

The DASH Diet.

This diet is a about eating moderate amounts of fat and protein but high on carbohydrates. Its main job is to lower down blood pressure. It follows the traditional food pyramid and encourages eating a lot of whole-wheat grains, vegetables, fruits and low fat dairy. But some dieters think that this diet advocates too much eating to induce weight loss.

Eat More, Weigh Less by Dr. Ornish

It is a vegetarian diet plan and it is very strict on low fat eating. Advocates eating glow food but warn on eating non-fat dairy and egg whites. This diet is poor on calcium and restricts eating of healthy foods like seafood and poultry.

Eat Right for Your Type.

This diet is an interesting on because it is based on blood type. Encourages plenty of meat for individuals with the type O. But some diet plans for some blood types are nutritionally imbalanced and way too low in calories. Anyway, this diet is not proven to be affective.

The Pritkin Principle.

This diet is about eating low calorie dense foods. These foods are called watery foods and it can make one feel full. Vegetables, fruits, pasta, oats, soups, salads and low-fat dairy are allowed. Proteins sources are limited to lean meat, seafood and poultry. This is a food diet that provides low amounts of saturated fats and high amounts of vegetables and fruits but it low on calcium and limited lean protein sources.

Volumetrics.

It is another low calorie eating plan. The diet recommends the same food like the Pritkin diet but the difference is that it does not allow fatty or dry foods like popcorn, pretzels crackers. This is a reasonable healthy weight loss plan.

The Zone.

This diet allows moderate eating of carbs and protein. It encourages low-fat protein foods like fish and chicken and advocates eating lots of veggies, fruits and grains. This diet is also lacking of grains and calcium.

Weight Watchers.

A diet that is high in carbohydrates, moderate on fats and proteins.

Weight watchers diet is a very healthy and flexible diet plan. Encourages dieters to plan their own meal instead of following a set of rigid eating plans.



Naomi

Malcolm Blake asked:


If you’re like most dieters, you want to lose weight quickly and keep it off. There are a lot of tempting and sensational sounding fad diets out there, but the best approach is to follow a sensible healthy diet plan.

Although you may be tempted to start a fad diet (or crash diet as they are also known) that promises to help you lose amazing amounts of weight in a few days, you need to think carefully before you make your decision. The fact is that many of these diets fail to produce lasting results.

These diets usually fall into one of two categories: the reduced calorie or restricted food diets (where you must avoid certain foods and only eat from a very restricted group of allowed foods), or the diets that require you to use special supplements, such as diet pills, bars or drinks.

While it’s true that you will lose a few pounds quickly on these fad diets, what you may not know is that is only a temporary result. You are actually losing pounds of water, not fat, which is your body’s reaction to starvation. As soon as you stop the diet, your body will soak these water-pounds up again like a sponge.

Most people who start these crash diets quit after a short while, such as a few weeks, as their body is suffering all the way. They just can’t stand it anymore. Other people with more will power will keep going for months, but they may experience harmful side effects.

Many of these crash diets can cause long term damage, particularly to the heart or kidneys. Also, as these diets don’t properly balance the nutrients you need on a daily basis, you can deplete your body’s supply of vitamins and minerals. This can cause weakness to your bones, and even cause anemia (especially in teenage girls). Also, a lack of proper dietary fibre can cause problems, as dietary fibre helps to prevent disease.

When you are on a diet, it is important that you don’t ignore healthy eating. A diet plan that neglects foods that are good for you in favor of fast weight loss is potentially dangerous. Your body needs a steady supply of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber to ensure it remains healthy.

Over time, your metabolism will suffer and slow down as you lose muscle mass. This makes it even harder for your body to burn calories, making it harder to lose weight as time goes by.

A healthy weight loss diet plan avoids these short sighted crash-diet mistakes and instead focuses on a routine that you can maintain and follow even after you have gained your ideal weight. This means that you will be able to continue a healthy lifestyle after the weigh loss diet is over.

Following a healthy daily diet plan allows you to get your body used to a routine it will be able to follow and this means that you will be able to keep the calories off after you have lost the weight.

A healthy diet plan can help you to reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure by eliminating the foods that put you at risk, such as high salt content foods and cholesterol. You will also be eating foods that improve your health, such as fresh fruit and vegetables and low fat dairy foods.

One of the main benefits of following a sensible plan is that you will be looking after your heart. A healthy diet plan eliminates many of the factors which can cause heart disease. So you will be reducing the risk of suffering heart disease while also improving your general health.

Reducing your fat and salt intakes and avoiding additives and stimulants in your food and drink is important. Caffeine (as found in coffee, tea and flavored sodas) puts strain on the heart and can make it beat too fast.

Speak to your dietitian or doctor when you are planning a diet. A healthy meal plan can be worked out which will take your normal routines and lifestyle into consideration. You will feel a lot happier about your diet if it allows you to keep your same lifestyle and eat some of the foods you love!

When you speak to your dietitian, he will be able to help you work out a tailor made plan based on your reasons for losing weight. Also it will help you to work out what your ideal weight is, based on your height and some other factors. Your healthy diet meal plan will give you the best of both worlds – you will get to enjoy your favorite foods while you improve your health and lose weight at the same time!

Also, it’s important for you to stay active while you are dieting, as it will keep your metabolism high and help you burn the calories.

If you look on the Internet, you will be able to find many resources (such as government or educational web sites) that offer a free healthy diet plan. These resources are guaranteed to be hype free and are usually based on good common sense.



Bulent

Virginia Bola asked:


We decide to lose weight because of any number of reasons: we don’t like the way we look, our clothes don’t fit, our health is in danger, our significant other is wandering, our job is at risk, or our kids are embarrassed. We tend to think of weight loss as something that involves only our body; surely no one ever decided to lose weight because of a fat brain or a bloated mind.

Yet “we decide” is a mental function. When and why we make such a decision depends on our mind, not our body. We may make the decision when we are five pounds heavier than we would like, or after passing the two hundred pound mark and entering true medical obesity. The actual size of the body does not trigger the decision to lose weight, such a choice in made in the brain.

Since the start (and the continuation) of a diet program is a mental process, it would seem to be worthwhile to explore what factors might trigger such a decision.

1. Self-Image.

Each of us has a dual image: the face we turn to the world and our internal idea of how we appear. Although we dress and groom ourselves in an effort to be seen as attractive by others, we are far less influenced by others than by our satisfaction, or dissatisfaction, with ourselves.

Explore this concept by observing yourself and others over the course of the next week. You will notice that you often receive compliments on clothes you wear that, to you, don’t feel “quite right.” Wear a favorite outfit that fits perfectly, that you think looks outstanding, and that makes you feel especially dashing - and no one notices! The same phenomenon occurs with a hairstyle. One morning, rushed for time, you can’t get your hair to do anything so you angrily pull it back with clips and hope that no one important sees you looking so awful. Voila! Three people comment that they like what you’ve done with your hair.

There is the same disconnect when it comes to our weight. If we look good in our mind’s eye, we don’t feel fat, even if friends and coworkers are whispering about our steady weight gain. However, if we see ourselves as overweight, no amount of reassurance from those around us is going to make us feel less fat. Carried to the extreme, this mental picture of our body size can lead to the eating disorder anorexia nervosa in which painfully thin individuals continue to dangerously restrict their caloric intake because they consistently see themselves as too heavy.

We decide to go on a diet, therefore, in response to our internal self-image. Some of the benefits we envision that go along with being slim and fit do take others into account: I will be more attractive to the opposite sex; I’ll be noticed at work when it’s time for a promotion; my family and friends will be jealous and will have to re-evaluate me as a stronger person than they had thought. But the real payoff for getting in shape is what it does for us personally. It is the desire to feel great about ourselves that carries us through the pain and monotony of diet and exercise. It is the future vision of ourselves in our mind that spurs us toward our goal. Losing that vision, or concluding that we won’t feel that much better about ourselves, are the reasons we give up and fall back into the relative comfort of settling for just “okay.”

2. Body versus Mind dominance.

We all wage a lifelong internal battle between our body and our mind. Each is dominant at different stages of development. As infants, we are little more than a collection of sensations. We explore the exciting new world around us through touching everything within reach, tasting everything we can put into our mouths, watching the movements of everything around us, and listening to all the sounds we hear until we eventually learn to imitate them.

As we move into our early school years, we start to concentrate on our minds. We voraciously devour immense amounts of information. We learn to read and our world expands its boundaries by a thousand percent. We learn to use the Internet and a limitless universe is at our fingertips.

Then we move into puberty and, overnight, our appearance becomes the dominating factor in our everyday lives. We navigate the pitfalls and pleasures of adolescence where popularity and being cool are so much more vital than mere learning or mental development. We spend an inordinate amount of time on our bodies. We try new clothes, new hairstyles, and new makeup. We have body parts pierced and undergo the pain of a tattoo because it will make us stand out. We primp, and groom, and force ourselves into the styles our peers have judged as “in.”

As we mature, we seek to balance our mental and physical selves. While our bodies reign supreme in the attract-a-mate environment, we need to exercise our minds to advance our careers and to develop deep relationships that move far beyond mere physical attraction.

It is when we settle down, and start to build the good life we want, that our efforts and energies turn towards things outside ourselves: children, significant others, friends, family, and work pursuits. We have so much happening around us and so much to do that we lose touch with both our bodies and our minds. We slip into our own comfort zone where so many of our needs are fulfilled by food. It eases our anxiety, relieves our frequent frustrations, and makes periodic bouts of the blues bearable. It oils our social interactions. It becomes a vital cog in how we demonstrate affection for those we love. We continue to see ourselves as we have always been and ignore the love handles and pockets of fat that attach themselves to parts of our body we resolutely ignore. Our bodies, and our internal image of our bodies, become more and more discordant.

3. Our sense of self-efficacy.

Self-efficacy is a term used in psychology to describe an individual’s belief that any action they take will have an effect on the outcome. It is not self-confidence, nor a belief that one is competent to do something, although it may involve both. It reflects our inner expectation that what we do will effect the results we want.

If I lack this belief, then I fear that whatever I do will not bring about my desired goal. Bordering on helplessness, it leads to self-defeating thoughts:

“No matter how carefully I diet, I don’t lose weight . . .” “I could work out every day but I’ll never get rid of these thunder thighs . . .” “I try to eat healthier foods but my hips just keep on spreading . . .” “No matter what techniques I try, nothing is going to keep the wrinkles away . . .”

If I have a strong sense of self-efficacy, my belief system and thought patterns will sound like:

“All I have to do is get motivated and I can whip my body into shape in a few weeks . . .” “I just need to pick a date to start my diet and I’ll be on my way . . .” “I may have neglected myself for a while but some hard work will bring me back . . .”

Whether or not we start a diet, decide to get in shape, or start taking better care of ourselves is, ultimately, a personal decision which may, or may not, be made as we have planned. The difference lies in the expectation of success and it is always easier to set out on a journey we anticipate will be successful than it is to drag ourselves toward a goal where failure is the most likely outcome.

How can we combine these concepts to work for us in our desire to become slim, fit, and attractive?

We begin by examining our self-image and how we appear to others. Merely asking others “Do you think I’m getting too heavy?” doesn’t work unless you have a brutally honest friend or you ask someone who dislikes you. Most of us are culturally trained to spare others’ feelings so responses to such a question are more likely to be polite than true.

Concentrating on specifics can produce better feedback. Tell everyone that you’re completing a survey for a class you’re taking. Hand out a brief one page questionnaire requiring that each friend or coworker list three adjectives to describe different aspects of your physical appearance. Complete one of the sheets yourself. Make sure that the answers are anonymous by requesting that no names be used and having someone else collect the completed sheets.

Once you have the responses back, compare them to your own answers and see where the descriptions diverge. You may find yourself becoming a little defensive: “My hips aren’t that big . . . my clothes do too make me look slim.” This isn’t an exercise to make you feel bad about yourself nor for you to gloat over the unexpected complimentary remarks you received. It is an organized effort to help you identify where your self-image and your image-in-the-world move apart. Those areas of divergence are a place to start in the effort to make the two images overlap.

Once the areas where work is needed have been identified, it is time to call on the immeasurable strength of our wonderful mind to start imposing the structure and organization we are going to need to effect the desired changes. Our mind can only get us where we want to go if it is supported by a belief in our ability to bring about a successful conclusion. Now is the time to dismiss any expectations of failure. There may have been many unsuccessful dieting and fitness attempts in the past. Leave them in the past. We are not somehow doomed to continue unproductive behaviors forever. We possess that jewel of evolution, the human mind, which is capable of just about anything. If we set our mind to any task, it will accomplish it, if our doubts and misgivings don’t get in its way.

We build up our positive expectations by exploring our memories to pile up a long list of prior successes. There may be major benchmarks such as bringing about a promotion we wanted, orchestrating a fantastic event, or working ourselves into an intensely satisfying relationship. However, the small personal triumphs count the most but are usually quickly forgotten or discounted as unimportant.

Studying hard and obtaining a good grade in a difficult class clearly demonstrates your ability to bring about the results you want. Go for quantity: the day you smiled at someone across a smoky room and ended up with a brief but lovely affair; the report you brought in on time which no one expected; the night you mastered a spin on ice skates. Keep going: making the drill team, shooting a stolen basket, making your own prom dress, dying your hair a wonderful color in your own bathroom, catching a fly ball, figuring out new software on your computer, burning your first CD. The list can be endless and will be, as you keep remembering snippets of the past that you had long buried under more important things.

Keep this list close by and read it regularly. It is your personal self-efficacy pep squad.

You now know the areas you are going to work on and are developing a belief in the effectiveness of your own efforts. Now you need to identify the internal rewards that successful weight loss will bring. Feeling good about yourself, enjoying stepping on a scale, and easily zipping up your clothes are easy starters. Unselfconsciously walking to the pool in a brief suit is a reinforcement to dream about. Making a sales presentation with the confidence that you are looking your absolute best is an image to relish as you fall asleep. Seeing someone you love watch you admiringly, or seeing your competitive coworker jealous, underscores your resolve and keeps you going through the discomfort of dieting and the demands of boring exercise routines.

You know where you’re going, you know what it’s going to take, and you know you’re going to be successful. Your mind is fully prepared, simply awaiting your day of decision. You’ll make that decision whenever you choose because you are now in control.



Evergreen

Andrew Aitaken asked:


Hoodia is fast becoming one of the best sellers in nutritional stores but you have to ask yourself; what do you really know about this new African weight loss product? If you ask some dieters they liken their experience of taking Hoodia to finding water in the middle of the desert. They will tell you that it actually does reduce their hunger, which is for these people trying so very hard to lose weight a real weapon in their arsenal against obesity.

The question remains still, is this product safe? Just because there are many people taking Hoodia and saying that it’s great and works for them, does this mean you should jump right in with this craze. The answer is: BE CAUTIOUS WHEN IT COMES TO HOODIA, NOT ALL HOODIA IS THE SAME! We have seen countless other diet pills that have come and gone in the arena of weight loss; leaving their scars on people with their side effects and dashed hopes of weight loss. Hoodia is not the same as these other weight loss products, with Hoodia there are different reasons for being concerned. So far safety is not the top concern when it comes to the Hoodia, many people are now taking Hoodia and at this point there are no reports of any serious health problems related to consuming Hoodia properly.

Additional assurances of Hoodia’s safeness can be further validated in the origin of where this cactus type plant comes from. The actual plant that is now found capsulated in pill form is called “Hoodia Gordonii” and grows in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa. Hoodia has been a source of nourishment for the native Bushmen that live in the desert where the Hoodia succulent grows naturally. These Bushmen called “The San” have eaten Hoodia for thousands of years with no ill health effect; they actually claim it gives them energy in addition to helping them have no hunger. Reducing hunger is an important part of these aborigines’ lives because of the fact that food is hard to come by in the desert; these people sometimes have to go days without eating. Because The San People have been eating Hoodia for so long it would suggest that Hoodia is safe to consume.

Unlike other diet pills that have been on the market lately where safety has been the top concern, Hoodia has other issues for the consumer to deal with. The most prevalent problem when it comes to Hoodia is if what you have bought is actual real genuine Hoodia Gordonii from South Africa. Most people trust that what they get on store shelves is what it says it is; this is not the case with Hoodia and it’s not necessarily the company’s fault that is selling it. The problem is there is no regulation with Hoodia and there are only a few companies that have adopted self regulation in the form of certification and independent testing. World demand has put a high price on Hoodia and big profits without regulation are an equation for corruption.

One study done by Truth Publishing and Alkemist Pharmaceuticals located at: naturalhealthreport.com/A-Hoodia-Gordonii-exposed.html, found that eleven out of seventeen brand-name Hoodia supplements tested failed a laboratory analysis of authenticity. Shocking isn’t it, and some of these Hoodia brands are selling in your neighborhood nutritional store. Many times the brand name may not even be aware of the problem because the breakdown in authenticity comes at the source of distribution. There are other cactus type plants in South Africa that look like Hoodia only don’t produce the same appetite suppressing qualities. Some sources collect these plants and mix them in with the real Hoodia and then export them to unknowing companies that then sell it as genuine Hoodia. Safety wise, it might not hurt you to eat these plants but you won’t have the hunger curbing effects of the real Hoodia that you want.

In the future, hopefully more regulation will be put in place and fake Hoodia won’t get into the consumers hands. Until that time you need to be vigilant to be sure what you are getting is the real thing. Genuine Hoodia is giving many people the results they want and helping them lose weight; just make sure you have the real stuff before you join the Hoodia Weight Loss Club. For more information about Hoodia go to http://hoodiagordonii.totalink.com



Auberge

Glenn Freiboth asked:


WHAT IS THE MEDIFAST PROGRAM?

Medifast is physician supervised program available with unlimited counseling and regular physical exams.

This program can work for anyone if you need to loose 10 to 100+ pounds! It is packed with vitamins, minerals and has a main ingredient of the ’super-health-food’ soy.

I feel that it is especially helpful for those that have developed a disorder with food or are obese.

PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS?

You always hear that MEDIFAST will inevitably cause you to gain your weight back. This is true for ANY weight loss program. Let’s stick to reality here. If we do not remain steadfast and committed in taking care of our bodies then yes of course the weight will come back. Only with exercise, education about nutrition and a love of life can we stay at a healthy weight. Medifast does work for those who decide to work with it.

A DAY IN THE LIFE..

Let me give you and example about a regular day on the program Meals should be 3-4 hours apart.

8:00am - I have awakened from sleep, revived and ready for a new day. I am ready for breakfast. Oatmeal sound great…especially Apple and Cinnamon. The oatmeal is best mixed with 3/4 cup of water (if you like it thick use 1/2) and needs no sprucing up but I add a packet of Splenda and a little vanilla extract for that ‘gooey’ texture I like!

12:00 - I have a bowl of vegan chili with MediFast multigrain crackers (mixed with 1 cup water and heated for 2 minutes let set hot!!!) with bits of fresh onion and celery mixed in not to mention a dash of garlic powder and paprika. The chili really does not need these extras but it is okay to add them if it is desired.

3:00 - I grab a delicious peanut butter protein bar gives me a boost and makes me feel like I’m cheating!

6:00 - I decide to have a small ‘meal’ for dinner (you can eat the MediFast products only or have 1 meal a day within guidelines). I have grilled turkey breast with a couple of cups of lettuce, a few onions, fat-free honey Dijon dressing, and another packet of crackers.

9:00 - I have my last meal for the day. A favorite treat of mine. Canfield’s Chocolate Fudge soda mixed with a packet of Mocha Chocolate MediFast, a packet of Splenda, and a dash of chocolate extract (this was frozen made earlier in the day). It tastes so good…like chocolate ice milk! Yum.

THE RUN-DOWN

Basically to wrap things up in summary… You can have 5 supplements a day and one meal. You can also have two fast soups, that do not count as a supplement (beef, chicken, tomato) and up to 2 packets of crackers. The shakes (two different chocolates, vanilla, strawberry and orange), oatmeal, chili, creamy soups and candy bars (peanut butter, chocolate devine, mint chocolate, berry, lemon and oatmeal) are counted as supplements. You can add small amounts of veggies, extracts and spices to any of the soups (Chicken Noodle, Creamy Tomato, Chicken and Broccoli) and chili. You can also have any non-caloric drink as much as you want but need to get in at least 64 oz. of water a day. Coffee (milk can be used!) is allowed but limited to three cups a day . For dinners, 3-4 oz. of lean meats (chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish, shrimp) are allowed with or in lettuce greens (a couple of stuffed cups of lettuce allowed) with a few veggies in the salad and 2 tablespoons of low-fat or fat-free dressing. A cup or two of other cooked or raw veggies (green beans, broccoli, etc.) can substitute a salad.

Once you get into the swing of things, find out which foods you like best, and develop a schedule…things go pretty smoothly. The first three days of adjustment may have minor side-effects such as headaches, fatigue, and grumpiness but those first three days are worth any mild discomfort considering how helpful and how far you can go in healing the body and mind of obesity with this program.

By following similar steps like the above any person can effectivly lose weight with Medifast.



Auberge

Kathryn Lively asked:


The weather is cooler and the leaves outside are lovely shades of red and orange. Fall is definitely here, and also well indicated by the changing of displays at your favorite grocer. Boxes of turkey stuffing are stacked in pyramids at every isle, there might be a sign-up sheet to claim a nice, juicy bird for the last week of November, and cans of pumpkin pie filling are taking up more shelf space than usual. The big eating holidays are here, the stores are prepared for the crush, but are you prepared to survive the holidays without gaining too much weight?

In the past, it was commonly believed that the average person tended to gain at least five pounds over the holiday season. More recent research refutes this number, claiming that a gain of one pound is more accurate. While that may seem like good news to people looking forward to a Thanksgiving feast, there should still be some cause for concern. As the holidays are a time of familial togetherness, oftentimes such activity is sedentary. Friends and relatives gather at home and typically spend the holidays watching televised parades or football games, with very little time going to physical activity. Thanksgiving leftovers may lead to the prospect of continuous snacking over the long weekends, and while you might not gain a lot of weight in this short time, you may be setting a habit that will stay with you through the end of the year and beyond.

Don’t be fooled by statistics, either. Just because research indicates that the average weight gain over the holidays is one pound doesn’t you won’t gain more than a pound this year. It also doesn’t give you license to reach for that third slice of pumpkin pie and think the fat and calories will magically disappear while you watch the big game! Moderation and consideration are the keys to enjoying any holiday dinner, and you shouldn’t feel as though you have to deny yourself your favorite foods this year. Just watch what goes on your plate, and watch how it is cooked.

Turkey, for example, is low in fat and high in protein. Eaten without the skin and only a smattering of gravy, it provides a delicious base for a holiday meal. Better yet, leave off the gravy altogether, it’s good enough on it own! Add some steamed vegetables and a cup of sweet potato with a dash of cinnamon (without the butter, it’s fat free!), and you have quite the feast. Of course, don’t deny yourself a sliver of pie, but be prepared to burn off those calories. At halftime, bundled up for a short walk. Even if you go around the block just once, it burns off more energy than you would just sitting in front of the television. Or, why not establish a new tradition with the family with a game of backyard football? You get your exercise, you bond with family. Everbody wins at this game.

Vigilance and motivation can help beat the weight gain blues over the holidays. Eat, drink and be merry, but also be active.



Blue