Sport-Specific Interval Conditioning

In many sports, a high level of aerobic fitness is necessary for optimal performance because it promotes endurance and assists recovery in "stop-and-go" type sports such as ice hockey. To improve aerobic fitness, coaches have traditionally prescribed long and tedious sessions of continuous sub-maximal exercise for athletes, regardless of their sport-specific metabolic demands.

Most team sports are not characterized by continuous sub-maximal movement speeds BUT/ rather these sports demand periods of high-intensity effort interspersed with maximal bursts of speed and periods of almost complete inactivity. Take soccer for example, a player may move at a moderate speed for minutes while following the play and then will be forced to sprint at their maximal pace for the ball. After that, the player could be faced with a stoppage in play of up to a minute due to various factors.

Considering the endless possibilities, is long-duration, moderate-intensity aerobic training the best method of conditioning these types of athletes? In my opinion it is not. What then are the alternatives? Let us consider "aerobic interval (AI) training" as a more beneficial manner at increasing the aerobic fitness and sport-specific muscular endurance of an athlete in a "stop-and-go" team sport.

Aerobic interval training provides a more sport-specific training intensity, a greater training stimulus that can be applied to the muscles used in the specific activities, and may also be an advanced training method for endurance training athletes looking to overcome a plateau in their aerobic fitness levels.

The intensity level of this training technique is much higher than the intensity level commonly associated with aerobic training. The exercise stimulus may in fact be very damaging to the muscle in its initial attempts and can result in muscle soreness in the days following the training session.

Therefore, prior to beginning a "full-blown" training regimen of AI's, the athlete should develop general muscular strength and endurance and perform a short "lead-in" program of general aerobic exercise (2 weeks; 3 sessions per week; 20 minutes; high-intensity; sport-specific activity).

The initial (first week; 2 sessions) AI training sessions should be conservative in training volume (3-5 intervals) to accustom the muscles and joints to the intensity. As well, a thorough and specific warm-up should be performed as well as pre- and post-exercise flexibility routines.

AI training involves alternating bouts of exercise with recovery periods. A sport-specific mode of exercises is performed for a short duration (2-5 minutes) and followed by an equal length rest interval. High-intensity work is the key factor in this type of training. By incorporating rest intervals, the athlete can work at a much higher (and more sport-specific) power output in comparison to traditional aerobic training.

Determining the intensity of the exercise bout is definitely the trickiest component of the training prescription. The "work" pace should elicit the individual's maximal heart rate by the end of the exercise bout. For example, if a 20-year old athlete (max HR = ~200) ran a 3-minute interval then their 10-second heart rate count should be ~ 33 beats (33 x 6 = 198) at the end of exercise. An example distance for a 3-minute running interval would be ~ 800m. Basically, the athlete wants to pick a training intensity that they believe they could hold constant for up to 10-minutes.

Obviously, picking the intensity can be very subjective unless the facility has "high-tech" training equipment. As the AI intensity should correspond to about 95-100% of the individual's VO2 max, if the athlete has access to high-tech training technology then a more accurate training prescription may be allowed.

Providing an adequate and complete rest interval is paramount! The rest interval must be of an extremely low-intensity so that sufficient recovery will occur and the next work interval can again be performed at a high power output. Do not sacrifice the quality of rest because this will only reduce the benefit of AI training. A reduced recovery will prevent lactate clearance (lactate = muscle fatigue), phosphate energy (CP & ATP) recovery, and improvements in aerobic metabolism. Remember this is not continuous training!

Many athletes that have traditionally trained with only long-slow distance workouts may have difficulty with this concept at the outset of the program, however these athletes will soon become more comfortable in taking a full-length recovery interval.

At ~ 2-minutes of maximal exercise the contribution of the anaerobic & aerobic energy systems are nearly equal and at 5-minutes the contribution is 30% anaerobic & 70% aerobic. Therefore, the high-intensity, short-duration nature of AI allows sport-specific demands to be applied. Training at such a high-intensity recruits the fast-twitch muscle fibers. These fibers are predominantly responsible for anaerobic performance, BUT/ by improving the aerobic system of these fibers, they will be able to recover quicker and be ready to contribute to sprint-performance with less rest time.

The adaptations in the body will be occurring predominantly at the muscle level. The muscle fibers will increase their ability to extract and use oxygen, BUT/ the improvements on oxygen delivery (heart and lung adaptations) may be minimal. The athlete will also improve their ability to tolerate lactate (lactic acid buildup in the muscle and blood) and will be ready to start ANAEROBIC INTERVAL training in the pre-season.

ANAEROBIC intervals match precisely the demands of the sport. For example, a hockey ANAEROBIC interval would be maximal exercise for 30-45 seconds followed by 1-3 minutes of recovery. ANAEROBIC INTERVAL training prescription needs to be addressed in an article of its own, perhaps in the near future...

AEROBIC INTERVAL training prescription

: 2-3 minutes & equal recovery

: progress to 10-12 intervals

: @ 95-100% VO2max; don't go TOO hard! (8-10 min pace)

: ~ maxHR at end of interval

Warmup Work Interval Recovery Interval

Fluids should be available at all times throughout the training session to help combat dehydration. Unfortunately many athletes may not feel comfortable consuming a high-volume of water OR sports drink while undergoing this intensity of training. To compensate, ensure adequate pre-hydration (make it a habit to drink sufficient fluids daily) and excess post-exercise fluid intake. The athlete should use AI to train the body to consume fluids during rest intervals of competition. Remember the importance of being well hydrated (dehydration can cause a reduction in endurance).

WARNING:

Your legs will feel like JELLO upon completion of this workout for the first time! The muscle glycogen (carbohydrate energy) stores will be extremely depleted and muscle fatigue will be high also due to lactate accumulation. Therefore, take caution in the scheduling of the remainder of your training day and the following day because of reduced neuromuscular coordination and fatigue. However, full recovery should occur within 24-48 hours. Make sure to consume a high-carbohydrate snack immediately after exercise and to maintain a diet with sufficient carbohydrate foods and fluids.

Therefore, AI training should occur in a sport-specific manner. The intensity and duration of the intervals should increase in specificity as the pre-season draws closer. Therefore, AI's train the body to perform repeated intervals of high-power outputs with the end result being an increase in sport performance.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Mens Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Learn How to Burn Tummy Fat And Boost Muscle Growth At The Same Time

Most people try to burn tummy fat believing the aerobic exercise - or pumping away mindlessly on a treadmill, riding a stationary bike, or coasting on an elliptical machine, whilst watching the TV screen at their state of the art gym is a great way to lose weight.

But research into study of obesity has shown that for the amount of hours you put into a standard cardio exercise is not that effective for fat burning.

In other words, this indicates that steady pace endurance cardio work may not be all it's cracked up to be.This is the main reason majority of people get bored and lose motivation with their workouts, and quit after a couple months without seeing results.

However, it only requires a simple change to the variety in the intensity level and frequent change in a workout program for more fat burning results in less workout time.

And for many reasons, strength training is often ignored by many people, but studies have shown that it can boost metabolism by 10% after exercise and increases fat burning by 100%.

Best of all, Resistance Training elevates our metabolism for up to 48 hours after a workout. It definitely pays fat loss dividends after your workout ends!

In contrast, with cardiovascular workouts (an hour of running) you will find your metabolism is only elevated for less than an hour before going back to normal.

So take note female readers, Weight lifting isn't a macho guy thing - it is a great way to burn tummy fat. The critical thing here is that in order to be fit and toned you NEED TO lift weights or do some type of STRENGTH TRAINING. Resistance training can literally change your entire body, let alone your self confidence and self esteem, and keep your body looking and feeling years younger.

So in order to overcome fat loss plateaus and maintain continual fat loss and muscle gain, look at a combination of interval training and strength training, and continually change your workout.

As long as you 'mix it up' and constantly change your exercises, the number of sets and repetitions for each exercise, the length of rest between each exercise and other variables, will demand your body to adapt and burn more fat (and energy).

By using challenging strength training, and choosing intervals over monotonous cardio, research has shown that your post workout metabolism is significantly greater.

Put it simply, the harder you train, the greater the increase in your post exercise metabolism.

Not only do will you save time in the long run; you will burn more calories, and strengthen and condition almost every muscle in your entire body if performed at the right intensity.

And you don't need fancy machines or an expensive gym membership -- all you need to do is eat healthy, and use a professional program, like Turbulence Training Routine which is a combination of interval training and strength training that you can do in the comfort of your own home. Or do it yourself.

This is the way to burn tummy fat and be in the best shape of your life!

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Burn Fat Fast

You can burn fat fast however many people begin popping pills and joining groups like Jenny Craig which may work; however you first understand why you are in the situation in the first place. What have you done in the past to burn fat fast? Most likely you have not had the success you are looking for otherwise you would not be reading this weight loss article.

There are a couple of things that you must take into consideration in order for you to burn fat fast:

• Increase your high fiber foods: Fiber is great for burning fat and is great for our overall health. Begin eating more wheat, and salads and this will increase your fiber intake.
• Watch Your Portions: We as a society tend to overeat. You must learn how to eat smaller portions; anyone who has been on any kind of weight loss program will tell you that the smaller mini meals you eat are better for burning fat than sitting there eating one big meal. However if you currently skip meals to avoid eating; this is something you must begin to change. You can not let your body go into a starving mode, it will begin to burn muscle not fat and you do not want to burn your muscle.
• Exercise Regularly: We hear it everyday from our doctors to exercise on a regular basis. However most of us do not spend 30 minutes a day exercising; with just 30 minutes a day your health will improve dramatically. Your body was meant to fight off all kinds of diseases and sicknesses; however if you do not give it the proper exercises and food you can not expect it to work properly.
• Do Not Eat Late Dinners: You should not eat past 7:00 p.m. in the evenings. Your metabolism slows down in the evenings because your body is in a relaxing mode. If you feed it late in the evening before you go to sleep; your body will not have enough time to digest the dinner. In order to burn fat fast, stick to a eating routine that will let your body digest the food properly.

You can burn fat fast if you are willing to stick to a plan. However if you start something and then quit you will never lose the weight you want to. No matter if you want to lose just 10 pounds or if you want to lose 100 pounds, you have to find something that works for you. You have to set goals and know why you want to lose the weight. You can not do it for anyone but yourself. Just because something did not work for you in the past, does not mean that nothing will work for you. You must be willing to try new things, success in life never comes to people who are not willing to try new things.

No matter what anyone has told you there are things that will help you burn fat fast, get all the information you require to learn more about it.

Learn more about how you too can lose 9 lbs in 11 days and the secrets that have been keeping you overweight Get all the facts here.

The Best Weight Loss Tips

Log onto the internet and look for weight loss tips and you will come across a hundred different websites offering them. There are 'Top 10 weight loss tips', 'Top 50 weight loss tips' and 'The best 3 weight loss tips'.

But when you browse through them all, they either have repetitive content or are out there to promote a weight loss company.

They all start off with a testimonial saying 'How I lost 30 pounds in one week' and so on. But the question to be asked is, 'Just because it worked for him, will it work for me?' The answer to this question is no. I mean, it might just work. But the keyword here is 'might'. It brings into account a certain level of probability.

In this article, I am pouring my heart out. Being an obese person all my life, I know what it takes to get those stubborn kilos off your body.

Lifestyle changes

Simply eat less and burn more. You don't need to give me $1000 to get this tip. You don't need to go through a 2000 page e-book or buy a video tape that shows you cranky exercises. The only thing that you need to do is get a calorie counter and measure the calories that you are eating.

Now get into the habit of exercising regularly and measure how much you are burning. You can start off with moderate exercises like a slow walk. It will be difficult but the end result will be much better than popping miracle pills into your mouth to lose weight. Try to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Keep realistic goals

Accept the fact that you are obese and it will take time for you to shed those kilos. The faster you accept this, easier it becomes to lose weight. Keep realistic goals. Do not accept to lose 30 pounds in 15 days and so on. Once you have a realistic goal, work towards achieving it and slowly but surely, you will be there.

For more info visit : Weight Loss Tips

Increased Physical Activity For Those Who Work In Shifts

Physical activity has always been linked to improved health and longer lifespan. It can boost the performance of your heart and lungs and defeat stress as well. More importantly, being active will help you maintain an ideal weight and bring you a more positive outlook in life.

But how can you enjoy the benefits of an increased physical activity if you work in shifts? Regular exercise and other activities rely on routines; after all, these are habits that you need to build over time. More often than not, you will have less amounts of sleep and you will have a hard time squeezing physical activities in a work schedule that keeps on changing.

So if you work in an ever changing schedule exercising and other forms of physical activities will be likely placed on the back burner. Still, the benefits of increased movement are so important for your health that you can not afford to just ignore them. The good news is that there are ways to add physical activity into your life without disrupting your already erratic work schedule; and the only requirement is for you to be a little bit more creative.

Physical Activity And Ordinary Household Chores

Working in shifts can definitely make it hard for you to insert physical activity into the picture. But sure enough, you still need to perform ordinary household chores like taking out the trash or going to the nearby grocery store. Well then, you can insert exercise and put in more action into your ordinary household chores.

Do some stretching and a dozen of pushups on your lawn right after you're done with the garbage. And instead of taking your car, you can always walk on your way to the 24-hour grocery. Walking the dog can also be a good way to exercise your leg muscles. Always think of ways to incorporate physical activity into your shifting work setup and you will reap the benefits that regular nine-to-five guys get when they go to the gym.

Exercise During Graveyard Shifts

If you work on shifts, you are sure to hit the graveyard schedule, if not always then at least occasionally. Well, some employees find graveyard shifts to be boring. If you have not experienced it yet, just ask the night guard in your building and he will tell you why. One thing is for sure, it will not be called a graveyard shift if it was fun!

If you are working during unholy hours, chances are, there are not much people around you. So instead of singing to yourself or stealing some time from your company, why not inject some exercise routines while doing your job? If you can not exercise during your official work hours, you can always put more action during your breaks. You will definitely stay awake and be healthier.

Organize A Fitness Or Sports Group

Unless you are a grave digger, you are probably not alone in your work. Whether you are working in the wee hours of the morning or during irregular hours of the day, you will always be in a company of other employees, maybe not in the same department as you are. What you can do is form a fitness or sports group so that you will not be alone at increasing physical activity; after all, your co-workers have the same health needs as you.

A graveyard brisk walking club, a noontime badminton society, or even a 3AM yoga class can help you put the physical activity that you need even if you have a daily schedule that is different from the rest of the world.

When it comes to fitness and physical activity, fluid movements are essential. Make sure that you do not experience pain in your body, particularly in your joints. Ensure the health of your joints by using products like Flexcerin. Visit http://www.flexcerin.com/ for more details.

Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com

Nutrition Lies You Tell Yourself

I spent a lot of time this week designing personal nutrition programs and meeting with new clients. And everytime I do that, I have clients fill out an extensive feedback form, which includes a 3 day diet record.

Now one of the questions on the feedback form is, "Do you eat lots of fruits and vegetables?"

The most common reply: yes. And it's always a lie.

But the truth comes out pretty quickly.

When I take a look at their daily diet record, many of these clients aren't eating any vegetables at all. Not a single vegetable all day.

Listen, I guarantee you that not eating fibrous vegetables means that you are not going to reach your fat loss goals.

If you want to be lean, but don't think you need any vegetables at all to accomplish this goal, then I'd like to know what color the broccoli is in your world, because getting lean just isn't going to happen for you.

I'm serious.

You can bump up the lean protein and knock down your sugar intake, but if you aren't pumping up the greens in your diet, you're going to be frustrated with your fat loss.

Find out more about proper eating from female health and fitness expert, Rachel Cosgrove.

Craig Ballantyne: Do you have any super foods that you think absolutely must be in everyone's diet for health and wellness purposes?

Rachel Cosgrove:

Green vegetables are a super food. I usually try to get my clients to have some kind of vegetable at breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. They can throw some spinach in their eggs, have a salad at lunch and broccoli at dinner for example.

The other super food besides green vegetables is essential fats, whether it is from foods or in supplement form everyone should be getting their Omega 3 fats. Over and over again in the research Omega 3 fats prevent all types of diseases and are truly a super food. So eat fish and green vegetables!

CB: Where should someone start if they want to take their healthy eating to the next level? (i.e. beyond just eating regular supermarket chicken and vegetables). What are some tips to eating as healthy as possible?

RC:

Get out of your rut. Too many people get stuck in a rut of eating the same thing every day. You should rotate your foods. If you eat a food today, you shouldn't eat it again for four days. This is called a rotation diet and works great for your health and for decreasing inflammation. Basically if you have chicken today, don't eat it again for four days.

This is really hard to do and I dont usually give a true rotation diet to too many people but I do emphasis variety and trying to eat different foods throughout the week.

Basically each time you go to the grocery store try to buy something different, try buffalo or ostrich meat or a different type of fish. Grab a new vegetable you have never tried.

CB: What ratio of carbohydrates, fat and protein is best for fat loss or is this something that must be approached individually?

RC:

This is individual, depending on metabolism and activity level.

Following a Low Junk Diet cuts your carbohydrates back pretty low though so I suppose if I were to recommend anything, it would be lower carbohydrate where all the carbs are from fruits and vegetables.

I would never say no carbohydrates though. You have to be careful because if you cut back too much you'll be too tired to move and then you'll burn less calories and it'll back fire on you. I also like to cycle in a higher carbohydrate day once or twice a week.

CB: What are some common Western-diet foods that cause problems such as fat gain, inflammation, food allergies, etc.?

RC:

Fast food, processed junk, sodas- again, stick to whole, natural foods. Remember "Green Faces."

(The majority of people would do well sticking to whole, natural foods. We have a nutrition plan we start people on at our gym to eliminate the junk from their diets called "Green Faces" and it consists of eating foods that are green or that had a face. That's it, nothing else.)

Allergies are usually from bombarding your body with the same foods over and over again. Most common allergies are wheat, dairy and sugar. If you are having symptoms of allergies such as post nasal drip, fatigue, bloat, gas, excess mucus, etc. try eliminating wheat, dairy and sugar and see if your symptoms disappear. It is most likely one of these foods.

CB: What are the benefits of eating organic food? How does a customer know if the food is organic?

RC:

For myself and my clients I recommend eating organic when possible.

Organic food will have lower amounts of pesticide residue. Don't let this scare you though, eat more fruits and vegetables, organic or conventional, and you'll be healthier. Just be sure to wash your produce well before eating.

I have started to see more and more organic foods in the regular grocery store which makes it easier to get. It will say "Certified Organic" on it, meaning it was grown on an organic farm. I also love to visit the local Farmers Market every week, this is a great way to get a variety of really fresh vegetables, some organic.

CB: What are the best teas for us to be drinking? Where should we buy them (commercial grocery store, real Chinese health food stores, etc.)?

RC:

Green Tea has thermogenic, anti cancer and cardio-protective properties. What better way to start off your day! Skip the coffee and have green tea. You can find organic green tea at your regular grocery store.

CB: Thanks Rachel. It's easy to eat well for fat loss and health, you just have to plan ahead. So plan, shop, and prepare on the weekends so that you have great meals and snacks all week long.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men's Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

How Online Weight Loss Programs Can Help You

There are many weight loss programs coming up on internet these days. Some of them are good while some can be a total waste of time. In this article I will provide review of 2 such online weight loss resources.

1. FitDay:

FitDay is one online weight loss programme which can allow you to track your diet and activities.

In order to succeed with your weight loss plan, you need to monitor your progress and pay special attention to diet and exercise regime. This is where Fitday program can help you - its an easy tool to monitor your weight loss program progress.

It is like an online journal. It also has a PC version which has advanced reporting and enhanced user interaction than the online version.

With Fitday, you can track your foods, exercises, weight loss and goals. Here is a short list of features provided by Fitday:

food journal

calorie and nutrition information for all foods

analyze you diet for calories, fat, carbohydrates, and protein intake

nutritional analysis

exercise log and activity tracking

metabolism analysis

weight tracking

ideal weight chart (height weight chart)

personal weight goal

long-term diet and fitness analysis

and much more..

You can signup for a free online account at the site or download a PC software which has some additional features. However the software is not free and costs around $30.

2. BurntheFat:

Another good online weight loss plan is that of Tom Venuto. It is not exactly a training program, rather it is a hefty ebook manual consisting of 337 pages. Tom Venuto has been in bodybuilding since 1983 and competing since 1989. He has been training people in fitness since he was 20 years old.

Tom has worked as a personal trainer in various health clubs and still works as a consultant. He started his fat loss program on the internet in 1999. He as written and published a book on internet titled "Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle" which contains a lot of facts about fat loss. It works for both men and women.

You can download a free report where Tom Venuto is interviewed by journalist Nicoli on Dateline NBC's "Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge". You can get this free report here - Body builders fat loss diet

Simple diet changes can drastically improve your energy levels throughout the day. Find out how 3 simple diet changes can increase energy

12 Tips for a Fat Burning Diet

Have you tried to lose weight and failed? Have you ever started a diet that seemed to work well in the beginning but suddenly you found that you didn't lose weight anymore? If so than you are not alone. The human body's metabolism makes weight loss difficult. In fact losing weight is a complicated process. It is a complex inter-play of many biochemical metabolic processes. The argument that a negative caloric diet could lead to automatic loss of weight is too simplistic and does not apply to all.

Many people who stick to a calorie-reduced diet don't lose weight as fast as they think they should. That's because they activate metabolic protection. Their body senses starvation and shuts down fat burning in order to conserve fat as an emergency energy source. Hence the key to losing weight is to induce the body to turn on its metabolic processes in particular the fat burning metabolism.

The key to doing that should involve three interrelated processes namely:
Conditioning the body for optimal fat burning
Reducing fat absorption from other sources and inducing
Triggering the body's natural fat burning metabolism

Don't worry is this sound complicated. The above information has been condensed in the form of 12 easy tips to promote the body to burn fat all day long and thus lose weight easily.

Tip 1 Do not go hungry

While it is true that you need to cut down your caloric intake you should not cut down too drastically so much so that you feel hungry. It's a good idea to have an idea of how much calorie you need to consume given your weight in order to spread your spread consumption adequately throughout the day. Excessive caloric reduction could cause the body metabolism to hit the brakes. It will also begin to break down muscle tissue for energy. The best strategy would be to eat just enough so that you are not hungry but at the same time induce the body to increase its metabolism. A midmorning snack and mid-afternoon snack of about 150 calories will do the trick.

Tip 2 Drink plenty of water

This is probably the most important tip of all. Almost all of us are guilty of consuming too little water. We need to remember that metabolism is a process that requires water. Water is necessary for proper isotonic balance of body fluids and also to help in transportation of waste products of metabolism. When we consume too little water the body tends to slow down metabolism simply because it cannot ensure an optimal metabolism and getting rid of waste products. Therefore the secret to unlocking metabolism starts with drinking enough water. As a general rule we should all consume at least 8 glasses of water a day. Studies have shown drinking enough water could lead to a loss of about 50 calories a day - enough to shed 5 pounds in a year.

Tip 3 Breathe properly

Fat metabolism is a process that also requires oxygen. Therefore a well oxygenated and well hydrated tissue is essential for optimal fat loss. This is the tragedy of modern life as most of us do not drink enough water and also do not use our lung capacity in an optimal manner. According to some research people generally use only about 25% of their lung capacity. Therefore simply learning to breathe properly and deeply would do wonders to enhance fat metabolism. This requires conscious efforts but costs nothing at all.

Tip 4 Eat more iron rich foods

In order to promote efficient oxygen uptake from our breathing we need to eat iron rich foods. Women in particular are at the losing end because they lose iron due their periods. In some women the situation is so bad that their iron levels are very low indeed. By having low iron levels oxygen uptake is inefficient and that directly contributes to their inability to lose weight. Therefore one should eat iron-rich foods such as shellfish, lean meat, beans, cereals and spinach as they are excellent sources of dietary iron.

Tip 5 Consume more vitamin D

Vitamin D has a main role in determining how the body manages energy which directly involves fat metabolism. Unfortunately many of us do not eat enough Vitamin D. You can get your daily requirement of Vitamin D in a three and half ounce serving of salmon. Other great sources of Vitamin D are tofu, tuna, shrimp, fortified milk, cereal and eggs.

Tip 6 Eat plenty of fiber

Everyone needs to add natural fiber to their diet. Research has shown that certain types of fiber such as resistant starch can increase fat metabolism by up to 30%. Resistant starch is formed when foods such as potatoes, grains and beans are cooked and allowed to cool down. Such foods should not be re-heated as it would transform them. They are called resistant starch because they are resistant to quick digestion. Therefore such foods give the feeling of fullness and curbs hunger.

Since resistant starches are resistant to digestion they are also not broken down and stored as fat. Instead what happens is that they get fermented as they get to the large intestine creating small fatty acids called butyrates which inhibit metabolism of carbohydrates. Since the body is deprived of breaking down carbohydrates it breaks down fat instead. A good choice would be to consume at least 20-30 grams a day of such resistant starch daily. This would roughly correspond to about half cup of potato, rice or cereal plus half cup cooked vegetables or one cup of cooked beans and 1 slightly unripe banana.

Tip 7 Drink more milk

Together with Vitamin D calcium too plays an indispensable role in fat metabolism. Therefore drinking milk is actually good if you want to lose weight. New research shows that three or four daily servings of low-fat mail and yogurt can help adjust your body's fat-burning machinery by providing Vitamin D and also by reducing fat absorption from other products.

Tip 8 Eat enough protein

One of the basic things to know is that muscles play a central role in metabolism which explains why greater muscle mass increases metabolism. Protein is necessary for building and maintaining muscle tissues. Research has shown that consuming protein can increase fat metabolism by about 35%. As such it is important to include at least 3 ounces of lean meat or fish or two tablespoon of nuts or 8 ounces of fat-free yogurt to every meal or snack.

Tip 9 Do not skip breakfast

Very often people tend to skip breakfast thinking that they are cutting down calories or simply because of their lifestyle. This is major mistake because the body would misread the lack of food as a threat and lower its metabolism to conserve energy. Therefore it is not surprising that studies show that people who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight or obese. Therefore it is important not to skip breakfast. At the same time breakfast should not be too greasy, too sweet or overly heavy. An oatmeal breakfast with fat-free milk and a tablespoon of nuts is ideal. If one doesn't have the time a fat-free yogurt is an excellent idea for people on the go.

Tip 10 Drink coffee or tea

Have you ever felt refreshed after a cup of coffee or tea? That is because caffeine is a stimulant that works on the central nervous system. In fact coffee can rev up the metabolism by 5-8%, an equivalent of 98 to 174 calories a day. There is also some evidence that tea also aids weight loss. Therefore consuming coffee or tea as part of our daily diet appears to do more good than harm. However if you suffer from diabetes then you should avoid coffee as it causes blood sugar levels to become elevated. Even if you are diabetic you should go easy on the sugar and cream. In line with the maxim "everything in moderation" I have found that 2 cups a day, in the morning and in the late afternoon, works well for me.

Tip 11 Exercise smart

Effective fat loss requires both a combination of low calories and some level of physical activity. You need not worry about having to stick to some strict exercise regime though it would be great if you can. However do not despair if you cannot because you could also integrate your daily activities into what is known as Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, or NEAT to boost calorie burning activities. Small movements such as leg movements, stretching, walking up the stairs, or even just standing when talking on the phone can boost calorie burning up to 350 calories a day.

Tip 12 Keep off alcohol

Alcohol slows down fat metabolism. As little as two drinks can slow down fat metabolism by 75 %. In addition alcohol causes dehydration. Dehydration causes your body to lose water and interfere with fat metabolism. Therefore keeping off from alcohol is a very effective way to ensure a high fat metabolism.

Ilango's website http://www.fatfurnacesite.com is devoted to empowering as many people as possible to the easy way to lose weight and reclaim their confidence and health by inducing their body's natural fat burning process.

Try These Easy Weight Loss Tips

Whether you have a little or a lot of weight to lose, it can seem daunting. Nowadays, we are inundated with stories of people who lose weight and gain it back again, or who find it difficult to lose weight at all. Over time, it's easy to become convinced that weight loss just isn't going to happen for you, or that it will require a total change of lifestyle. This just isn't true, as these easy weight loss tips will prove.

Weight loss tip #1: Keeping in mind that society is geared toward large portion size and getting more for your money, simply divide all the portions you've been eating (especially those you eat out) in half. See how it feels to just eat half a restaurant meal, then stop. Have the rest packed up for lunch the next day. Chances are, you won't be hungry after eating half the meal, but if you are, eat another quarter. Then have the rest packed up. You're not depriving yourself - a generation ago, the half- or three-quarter meal you end up eating is more or less the same amount of food as a full meal you would have been served a generation ago. Even cookies and muffins that you buy to go have been supersized - again, eat half.

Weight loss tip #2: Walk as much as possible. Get in the habit. It's great to go to the gym and work out, but in its own way, 'built-in' exercise is even better. It requires no special equipment, you don't have to schedule time for it - you just do it as a matter of course. Remember, until cars became commonplace, walking is how most people got around most of the time. In many European cities, they still do. And people who do this are seldom overweight - go figure!

Weight loss tip #3: Eat real food. In other words, avoid boxes and cans, and eat things that are in their natural form - or as close to it as possible. In the supermarket, shop around the edges - the meat and produce - and avoid the inside aisles. Preparing 'real' food might be a bit more work, but it's very rewarding, and much healthier.

These are not very 'high powered' weight loss tips - you won't lose a pound a day, or whatever the leading programs claim. These are healthy, enjoyable changes that are meant to last a lifetime - and over time, you will lose weight. What's more, your weight loss will be gradual and safe, and you'll keep the weight off permanently.

If you're serious about losing weight, you can make your battle much, much easier. Hoodia Gordonii reduces your appetite so that you do not over eat.

Circuits For Fast and Effective Fat Loss

Are you lacking the time to exercise? Are you short on money and can't afford a gym membership? Do you lack workout equipment?

Then bodyweight circuits are the answer to all your exercise excuses!

When using body weight circuits, you are getting in a total body cardio workout. All you need to do is pick 2-3 lower body exercises and 2-3 upper body exercises that you do using only your body weight. Alternate the upper and lower body exercises, doing 10-15 repetitions per exercise, with no rest until you have completed all the exercises one time through. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat the circuit up to 6 times. There you have a perfect fat burning circuit in less than 25 minutes!

Not only do body weight circuits burn fat, but they help to boost your metabolism. By using body weight training, you are incorporating both interval and strength training all in one workout and your body will not only burn calories while you are doing your circuits, but long after you are done!

Bodyweight exercises also help build muscle, which helps not only to increase your metabolism, but also makes you look sexy.

Here is a beginner bodyweight circuit workout:

• Wall Ball Squat - 15 reps

• Kneeling pushups - 10 reps

• Hip Extension - 15 reps

• Plank on Hands - 20 seconds

• Bird Dog - 5 reps per side hold for count of 5 seconds

Here's an intermediate bodyweight circuit workout:

• T-Squat - 15 reps

• Forward Lunges - 12 reps each leg

• Decline Pushup - 15 reps

• Mt Climber - 15 reps

• Close grip Pushups - 15 reps

• Side plank - 30 seconds each side

You can use the bodyweight circuits in place of your interval training or added to your regular training. Give them a try and start blasting that fat!

Angie Schumacher is a successful fitness entrepreneur both in online and offline areas. She is a Certified Personal Trainer and diet and fitness website manager. For more great diet and fitness tips, visit http://www.womensdietandfitness.com

Natural Weight Loss Supplements

Weight loss is an important issue in today's world with the increasing number of leaning to obesity. Obesity is linked to a number of diseases and in certain circumstances can even prove fatal. In order to be on the safe side immediate action is required.

A number of diet supplements are available that promise immediate weight loss. These act by inhibiting hunger pangs. They speed up the metabolism, so that a large number of calories are burnt within a short span of time. They burn fat and block the carbohydrates from metabolizing, so that a person is induced to take a low carbohydrate diet.

Weight loss supplements come in various forms and range from hydroxycitric acid to green tea. Some of these supplements have chromium as their active compound. Fiber an also be used in weight loss supplements, as it helps increase energy along with manage cholesterol. These are natural compounds and are derived from various plant parts.

Many of these supplements supply you with the required vitamins, minerals and key nutrients required as you may restrict these from your diet in order to lose weight. The results take their time, but with these natural supplements you can be sure that you are not going to cause any harm to your body. There are instructions that come along with each of these supplements that explain when and how they should be taken. For example some supplements like the may not be safe for a pregnant woman. People with high blood pressure can't take other supplements.

If the instructions are followed properly there should be no side effects. Also, be sure that when you take these supplements drink lots of water and restrict your intake of alcohol.

Natural Weight Loss provides detailed information on Natural Weight Loss, Natural Weight Loss Supplements, Natural Weight Loss Products, Natural Weight Loss Pills and more. Natural Weight Loss is affiliated with Fast Weight Loss Tips.

Fat Loss 4 Idiots - A Look At A Sample Days Meal Plan

One of the nicer aspects of the Fat Loss 4 Idiots diet plan is the online menu generator that you get. You plug in several of your favorite food choices and the menu generator gives you an 11 day meal plan with 4 meals a day.

In addition, unlike many other popular diet programs, Fat Loss 4 Idiots does not require you to buy any special foods or the expensive pre-packaged foods. You are able to simply continue buying fresh foods at your grocery store as you normally do.

So, what kind of meals will you be eating with the Fat Loss 4 Idiots Diet Plan?

Although everyone is different, here is just a quick sample of a few choices you'll have for a typical day.

Meal 1: Banana milk shake or Oatmeal

Meal 2: Tuna salad or fruit salad

Meal 3: Fish Fillet or a sandwich of your choice

Meal 4: Cottage cheese or scrambled eggs meal

At first glance this may not seem like a lot of food, but keep in mind that with Fat Loss 4 Idiots, you are not limited in your portion sizes. Also, you are eating 4 meals per day and not the more typical 3 meals a day we are so accustomed to.

One of the goals of this diet plans to become filled up when eating, but not being overly filled. Add in plenty of water and you will be surprised at how easy it is to get through the day. I think we all know what it's like to be on diet programs where you feel starved and struggle to just get through the day.

Of course, most everyone can only take a few days or weeks of it and they quit. This is just one of the reasons Fat Loss 4 Idiots is different. You get to eat foods you enjoy and you get to eat enough that you're not walking away hungry.

By the way, you can learn more about How To Lose Weight as well as much more information on dieting and weight loss at http://www.FatLoss4IdiotsReview.net

Weight Loss Truths - Calorie Restriction is the Key to Weight Loss Success

All successful weight loss programs rely on one common denominator; calorie restriction.

What is calorie restriction? Calorie restriction is an effort to reduce the amount of calories one consumes in order for the body to achieve a negative energy balance. This is simply a person reducing food consumption to the point that they are burning more energy than they are consuming. The body is then forced to use stored fuel (muscle tissue, glycogen and body fat) in order to survive. The burning of these stored fuels is cause of the weight loss phenomenon.

How does a person achieve this negative energy balance through calorie restriction? First a person must have an idea on what a calorie is. A calorie is a measure of heat. Food is the fuel our body needs to generate heat. If the body is not getting enough fuel from food consumption then the fuel must be found elsewhere. That fuel is found in our body fat.

The best analogy for this process is gasoline and an automobile. Cars run on gasoline. Without gasoline, a car is useless. We drive our car and fill up with gasoline when we are getting low on fuel.

What would happen if we put 18 gallons on gas in our car if we only burned 16 gallons? We would have extra gas left over. That extra gas has to go somewhere so it goes into storage for when we only have 14 gallons available but we need 16 gallons.

What would happen if we never tapped into our gas reserves? The surplus would keep growing and growing causing a need for larger storage tanks.

The human body works in the exact same way. The surplus fuel (food) is turned into stored energy (body fat) and the only way to reduce how much fuel is stored in reserve is to limit new consumption of fuel (food). This is the only way that the human body can body fat. A caloric deficit must be established so stored energy (body fat) can be burned to keep us alive.

How is a calorie deficit achieved? The simplest answer is to eat a fewer number of calories then it takes to fuel your basal metabolic rate. The BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the measure of energy a person needs to subsist. People can figure out their BMR by using any of the numerous BMR calculators that can be found online.

Once the BMR is calculated a person can then have a goal to shot for. If the BMR is 2500 calories a day, they a person should shoot to try to eat fewer the 2500 calories a day for a consistent period of time.

How can a person effectively create a caloric deficit? Part 2 of this article will address this issue.

W.S. Evans (Bill) is one of the millions of people who have battled a life long weight problem. Bill has a passion for helping others battle their weight problems by sharing what he has learned with his struggles with obesity. Bill's struggle can be viewed on his blog called "My next 60 pounds". Bill's blog can be found at http://billgetsfit.blogspot.com.

Considering Quick Weight Loss Programs?

Most people agree, sure, there's a time and place for moderate, slow-results diets, but if you're out of shape and have a deadline to look better, quick weight loss is what you're after. No matter how tight your deadline is, it never helps to panic. Quick weight loss is a goal you can achieve, and there are a few ways to get there. Remember, extreme results are never easy, but then again what goal was ever worth reaching that was easy? Where do you go? Not the bookstore. Most of those diets are more mainstream, "lifestyle fitness" kinds of books that aren't catered to the extreme reader who really wants quick weight loss as a result.

Okay, so at a very minimum, you need to keep track of ALL calories you're taking in. Set a daily quota, and don't go over it. I don't know what your limit should be of course; that will depend on your size, weight, and typical diet up until now. Your plan of action for quick weight loss will be tweaked more to your individual circumstances. Absolutely take into account your lifestyle. If you work in an office all day, sitting down, it should be lower. More active people might want to allow for a little more. Spread the calories out properly throughout the day as well. It makes much more sense to have three to five evenly sized meals than skipping breakfast, having a light lunch, then gorging yourself for dinner. That's a recipe for hunger pains and being bloated, rather than quick weight loss. Start reading food labels as well. I tell all of my clients to stay away from anything hydrogenated, even though the bad publicity is forcing most companies to cut back on trans fat anyway. Serving size can be misleading if you're looking for quick weight loss, because since the mid 1990's, the FDA standard (if you're in the US at least) has been based on a 3,000 calorie diet. The Calorie-Count website is great for keeping track of all of this. Keeping track of everything is one sure way to achieve your quick weight loss goal. I like how a bodybuilder friend of mine put it, "If you don't track it, you didn't do it."

Liquids are another important part of this quick weight loss goal. Nothing carbonated. These just contain a lot of sodium and force your body to retain water, derailing your efforts to be more active. More and more authorities on nutrition and general medicine recommend green tea and water. Full grown adults should take in two liters of liquids each day (about three-quarters of a gallon). If you're serious about your quick weight loss goal, you might want to stay as close to that amount as possible.

And no matter what kind of quick weight loss program you get into, you just can't take physical exercise out of the equation. While some people hope to, jumping from one silly "lemonade cleansing" diet to the next "low carb" craze, they can never figure out why they stay in bad shape. Try to stick to activities you enjoy, that way you'll at least have a shot of keeping up with them. Most people are surprised by how much they can actually work more physical activity into their regular days. You can skip the elevator, ride a bike to work, or walk if it's feasible. If you're in an office go out during the day whenever you can, even if it's just to walk around. So you can combine decent physical exertion with an effective diet, and you'll realize your quick weight loss goal faster than you probably thought possible.

But even with all of this in mind, most quick weight loss programs are more of a "'last ditch effort" kind of thing. You can lose muscle tissue as well if your body isn't properly nourished. Most people want to avoid the negative image of looking "sickly", or "weak" when they drop several pounds quickly. That's why adequate nutrition is essential. The best all-natural diet programs are the best place to start if you're looking for the right fuel to keep you going in your quick weight loss objectives.

Rob Jacobs has consulted on weight loss and nutrition for 20 years. He helps world class bodybuilders and dieters alike on how they can improve their health, and overall life. For more information on Rob's approach to health, please visit Quick Weight Loss

Weight Loss Workout Routine Benefits

Is a weight loss workout routine right for you? Answer the following questions to find out. Do you feel sluggish at the end of the day? Do you feel tired and stiff after a long day at work? Are you stressed out most of the time?

Too many days without adequate exercise, rest and fresh air can leave you feeling as tired on the inside as weak muscles feel on the outside. If you suffer from this kind of fatigue, try a weight loss workout routine and increase your whole body's energy level.

If you want to shed extra pounds and tighten muscles, a weight loss workout routine, that combines a cardio workout and strength training, is perfect for you.

It could be just what the doctor ordered for extra energy, increased metabolism, and the feel good endorphins your body produces after exercise. Want to feel good all day? A weight loss workout routine is the way to do it.

It is easier than you think to achieve these extra benefits, and the best part is, you can do it at home. With a few pieces of quality home gym equipment, like a treadmill or an elliptical exerciser, you could soon be seeing your muscles tone, your energy level boost, and your moods get much better.

Studies show that working out regularly reduces stress and helps you to handle adversity better. You'll feel boosts in important neural chemicals all day long if you start home workouts like a treadmill workout program.

As you add strength training to your routine, you will see more fit muscles and longer, leaner body lines. This part of the weight loss workout routine will speed up your metabolism and increase your body's ability to burn fat long after your workout.

A cardio workout routine followed by strength training helps your muscles metabolize the lactic acid that causes the burn and ache after a workout. These kinds of workouts are excellent for burning excess body fat. If you are looking for increased energy and decreased stress, a weight loss workout routine is the perfect choice for you.

Copyright 2005 Treadmill Info.com All Rights Reserved.

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How to Lose 4 Inches

Once you know the secret to losing inches fast, it no longer seems so difficult. Read on to find out my tried and true methods for rapid, healthy, and amazing weight loss.

Detox

Our bodies are full of toxins. Every day, we are breathing in dirtier air and eating food with more preservatives and carcinogens. And, our body is attempting to protect us from these impurities by storing them in our fat cells. It's our bodies built in defense mechanism.

The problem with this defense mechanism is that it makes us bloated and larger than we deserve to be! We can fix that though. To combat this bloating and detox your body properly I suggest you do two things. First, get a good body wrap from a spa or do one at home. You'll lose several inches from your body while the toxins leave your system and your body will be in a better position to begin metabolizing your fat. Not to mention, it will do wonders for your ego, and get you started on your path to losing four inches the right way.

The next step you should take in your detoxification process is to begin taking a good fiber supplement. The majority of toxins in our bodies are stored in our intestinal tract and colon. The average person holds between 3 and 7 meals in their colon, unnecessarily, at any given time. Getting on a good fiber supplement will flush you out and jump start your inch loss efforts.

Metabolism

Raising your metabolic rate is of enormous importance in being able to rapidly lose inches. Many people try to lose weight by not eating and working out. This is flat-out silly. The old motto that weight loss is as simple as burning more calories than you take in is completely wrong. You need to eat to lose weight!

I know it seems counter intuitive, but think of it this way. If you never eat, your body gets used to being in this mode of starvation all the time, trying to survive on no nutrients. Then, when you do eat, you binge and your body is thrown into trauma. Now, your body is confused. It wants to burn up your food, but your body also knows it might need to hold on to that food for later when you starve yourself again.

Instead, try this. Eat. In fact, eat 6 meals a day, including right when you wake up. And for each meal, eat a serving of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and of mono-unsaturated fats. Do this for 10 days and you will lose four inches, maybe more. Your metabolism will simply be through the roof!

Exercise

Exercise is important, but nowhere near as crucial as eating the right foods. If you are eating as I suggested, and drinking lots of water, you won't need more than 30 minutes of good interval training 3 times a week to lose masses of weight and ultimately get to your goal of losing 4 inches. And, your interval training can be as simple as playing a little basketball or doing a workout on the elliptical.

So, all you really need is to get rid of those unnecessary toxins, feed your body, and do some simple exercising and you can easily lose 4 inches.

That's all it takes!

Want to lose 4 inches in an hour? And, then work on losing 4 more? If so, check out: How to Lose 4 Inches

Brandon Walsh is considered an expert author in the fields of biblical nutrition, weight loss, and healthy living. To learn more about detoxing your system and losing weight, sign up for his extremely popular and free newsletter at: Lose Weight How? Fast!

Mastering The Emotional Challenges Of Dieting

You may want to know about something I'm finding remarkable for dealing with food cravings. This is the number one self-help CD that will CURE your cravings for binge eating and ANY food you want to STOP eating. Understand more about the Key To Successful Weight Loss below.

Now EFT experts have produced what we may call the "EFT Diet. EFT is an stately and potent process anyone can acquire for self-help, self-development and peak performance. EFT has been successfully utilised to treat a extensive range of emotional problems and issues, including anxiety, fearfulnesses, phobias, trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, heartache, anger, guilt, and so forth. "The truth that one can apply EFT anyplace, at any time, on most anything, using no drugs, nor meddling with other therapies are marvelous incentives that make me pleased and confident about applying the technique.

EFT Weight Loss and EFT Diet - Mastering The Emotional Challenges Of Dieting with the EFT Solution.

There is a lineal connection between what youre experiencing and believing (your emotions) and an unmanageable impulse to eat. For instance, if youre feeling lonely, afraid, hurt, or furious, binging will dull these unpleasant feelings. It centers your attention elsewhere so that you can profess the unpleasant feelings aside. It becomes such a habit to reach for food when these feelings rise up that were oftentimes unaware there are any damaging feelings present within us at all.

EFT Techniques solve these foul cravings for unhealthy and fattening foods. The EFT Diet is highly recommended by Robert Lagana - a natural competitive bodybuilder that has to stay entirely strict in diet mode for 8 months of the year while working full time in the IT industry and managing family life and personal projects.

EFT was created by Gary Craig in the mid 1990s, and is intended to be a simplification and improvement of Roger Callahan's Thought Field Therapy techniques. Emotional Freedom Techniques (or EFT) is an emotional healing technique, which is founded on a radical discovery that outrages most of the opinions of established psychology. The integration of Energy techniques with the style of Provocative Therapy, PET supplies herculean techniques to minimise the anxiety that follows such change. EFT is collaborative and respectful of clients fusing experimental Rogerian techniques with structural systemic interventions.

EFT, like many advanced spiritually-based concepts,brings forth passionate argument as to its scientific validity. EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques)is getting acknowledged to many astounded users as a modern miracle. EFT is a new energy medicine that really quickly affects change. EFT works GREAT and you actually experience the difference at once.

Robert Lagana http://www.laganafitness.com

Robert Lagana has been weight training and helping people for over 16 years. He has competed in numerous bodybuilding competitions and is a multi-title winner. He currently holds the 2006 Mr. Canada Natural Bodybuilding title in the NFSO & IFSB. Along with experience, He teaches natural muscular development as a therapeutic approach.

Is The South Beach Diet Just Rubbish?

In the multi million pound diet industry, the South Beach is one of the latest best sellers. This means it's worthy of examination, because many people will go out and buy it on the hype and publicity rather than a real understanding, so let's take a look...

The first thing to note about the South Beach diet by Arthur Agatston is that it claims in its' title to give you foolproof plan for fast and healthy weight loss - well that's a concern for a start, because healthy weight loss is not fast, the two don't go together.

It also claims not to be just another low carb diet, but the whole initial weight loss is based on, yep you guessed it, low carbs! The argument is put forward about how carbs effect blood sugar levels, but not only is this debatable, the initial weight loss will come about from simple calorie reduction, whatever the effect of carbs.

Of course what happens to initial weight loss once that low carb period ends? It goes right back again of course, as it was mostly water loss. A waste of time.

As for the longer term plan, although the diet says you won't have to worry about feeling hungry or portion size, it then goes on to repeatedly mention portion size - so which is right?

It's not a great plan, the South Beach, it really isn't.

Cutting out carbs will see a big reduction in calories, which will see an initial weight loss, yes. They are facts you don't have to get this book to know. You'll also know that this isn't something that's sustainable, which is the sign of a good diet.

There are plenty of worse books out there, but if you never buy the South Beach, you won't be missing out on a life changer that's for sure.

Would I call it total rubbish? Well in my view, the fundamentals are wrong, the science is debatable and studies are not referenced in the book, so my view would be to keep your money, and pass on the South Beach diet.

Gordon Bryan is a life coach who gets annoyed by debatable diets. Find out his diet view at: http://dietfactnotfiction.blogspot.com

Weight Loss Incentive

Sometimes we don't feel motivated to diet unless we have a compelling weight loss incentive.

Let's face it. How can we spend the next several weeks or months sacrificing all of the foods that we love? How can we go without sweets, breads, and fatty foods? We all know that the ultimate incentive is the weight loss. Nevertheless, our minds are oftentimes not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve our goals because the road to get there is fraught with hardships.

What if you could find a diet that addresses all of your concerns? If you could follow a diet that allowed you to eat as much as you want to your satisfaction, would you follow it? If you could follow a diet that required you to eat plentiful food from each of the four major food groups, would you take it on? If you knew that you had the flexibility to choose your own personalized menu plan, and that you were required to eat four full meals every day, would you jump on the chance? What if you knew that by following the diet plan, you would lose 9 pounds every 11 days? If you could follow a diet that requires you to take a mandatory 3-day break from your diet every two weeks, would that be motivation enough to follow it?

This is not just wishful thinking. These are some of the weight loss incentives that constitute a real diet plan. The calorie shifting diet is a revolutionary new diet regimen that is gaining widespread popularity and joining the ranks of the other "mainstream" diet plans out there.

Calorie shifting is basically a diet plan that focuses not on the quantity of the food you eat, but the deliberate regrouping of which foods you eat when. By shifting the types of calories you eat from meal to meal, you can trigger the appropriate metabolic response in your body that induces the burning of fat. It doesn't matter how much you eat, but what you eat and when, that achieves this effect.

Do you want to see yourself being 9 pounds lighter in the next 11 days? The Calorie Shifting Diet will get you there! Learn how at: http://www.CalorieShiftingDiet.info

Life After Weight Loss Surgery - Don't Let Shame and Self-Blame Weigh You Down

A huge mistake that people make as they work to lose weight and/or maintain weight loss after weight loss surgery involves getting stuck in self-blame. Self-blame and self-criticism can seriously undermine weight loss efforts. Here are some of the reasons why they can create a trap that you want to avoid:

1. Self-blame breeds shame.

Shame is the most isolating emotion that there is. When we feel shame, we feel bad and we want to be invisible. We don't want anyone to see either our shame or ourselves and we start to feel incapable of connecting with others. We want to disappear. Solid support is one of the most important tools for success whenever we are making any major change and shame causes people to isolate, avoid others, and miss out on the support they can provide.

2. Self-blame and shame cause us to lose perspective.

When we blame ourselves and get lost in shame we also tend to lose perspective. If we believe that the problem is us then it becomes easier to believe that we are alone in our struggles and that no one else will understand. One of the biggest mistakes a weight loss surgery patient can make is assuming they are alone in struggling or having questions or difficulties after bariatric surgery. When we struggle alone and blame ourselves, a problem that was originally small can quickly become much larger.

I have worked with too many bariatric surgery patients who have avoided support groups because they are afraid of being judged or are embarrassed to admit they are struggling. Because they are stuck in shame and self-blame, these individuals miss out on learning that they are not alone. They miss out on learning about the strategies and resources that others have discovered or developed. Connecting with others is an incredibly powerful tool and shame can keep us from using it.

3. The heaviness of shame and the weight of self blame interfere with successful weight loss.

In fact, getting stuck in the self blame trap might be the biggest mistake that bariatric surgery patients can make. When people hit a rough patch with their eating or their weight loss surgery lifestyle and they are trapped in shame and self-blame, they get stuck. Instead of taking a step back, evaluating why the plan failed, and looking compassionately at what they need to tweak in order to be successful, people stuck in self-blame beat themselves up emotionally for their past failures and commit to being tougher or harder on themselves, or more rigid and strict the next go-round. This is a big mistake. When we stay stuck in self-blame and shame we limit our ability to be curious and to think creatively. We become less able to look at a situation objectively, identify what didn't work or how we got into the trap that we did. When we are stuck in shame and self-blame, our minds are less likely to work to create some new options, modify our plan for next time, or generate ideas about how we can be more successful. Self blame tends to leave us with only one option--"just try harder." Unfortunately that's not often a very helpful approach.

Learning how self-judgment and shame can get in your way isn't always enough to change it. Have you ever tried to stop being hard on yourself? It's really not so easy. It takes practice, persistence, and the right tools. So many weight loss programs don't address shame and self-blame at all, and even fewer provide the necessary tools and skills to help you move past it. Moving past self-blame and shame is crucial for creating enduring success after weight loss surgery and it is challenging work. But once you start to develop the right tools and you are able to step outside of that self-blame, it's absolutely amazing how much easier some of the other steps towards success can be.

Melissa McCreery, Ph.D. is a Psychologist and Life and Wellness Coach who helps her clients create and live the life they crave. She is also the creator of the Emotional Eating Toolbox (TM), Tools for Taking Control and Moving Beyond Dieting. Sign up for a free 5 part Self-care Package and learn more at: http://www.enduringchange.com

Copyright 2008 - Melissa McCreery, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, give author name credit and follow all of the EzineArticles terms of service for Publishers.