Weight Loss Products and Programs

As the science of weight loss has become more and more commercial (evidenced by all the weight loss and weight loss equipment ads seen on TV and in print media), several myths have become focused around the aspect of weight loss. It seems that we all want a safe and simple solution that involves no exercise of will-power. Well, maybe one day one will appear. But, at this time, there’s really no magic cure.

But, there are several weight loss myths that need to be examined.

Perhaps you’ve seen or read this: Lose weight by eating ice cream. The idea behind this is that your body requires energy to warm up the cold ice cream, so you’re using calories to do this.

Well, certainly, warming the ice cream requires energy. It even requires energy/calories to digest it. Energy is used in any activity the body undertakes. That’s just a physiological fact. Consider the actual facts regarding this myth. Since ice cream is normally high in both sugar and fat, you consume more calories in eating the ice cream than in warming and digesting it. Sorry, you still have to watch the desserts.

This same false theory is sometimes used with ice water. Since the water has no calories, it beats eating ice cream. But – the amount of energy required to bring the water up to the temperature of your body is considerably less than with ice cream. Thus, not much effect on weight loss.

There are times you may feel hungry, when, in fact, you may just be thirsty, due to slight dehydration. Consuming water can lessen the feeling of hunger. and you’ve consumed less calories than with other alternatives, such as orange juice or soda.

Maybe you’ve run across this myth: Adding one pound of muscle causes 50 more calories to be burned by the body. Besides not even being true, this doesn’t mean much. What is meant by ’50 more calories’? Over what period of time? Your body burns approximately 70 calories in one hour, just by sitting. You’re consuming calories just to pump blood, maintain cells and temperature, etc.

What one pound of additional muscle will do is burn no more than 12 calories in an hour. Adding muscle can be good, because a high level of effort is required in vigorous activities like weight training or running. Even less rigorous exercise, like walking, is beneficial. However, this does more muscle toneing than muscle building. In a one hour workout, the average male will consume approximately 350 calories.

The body’s metabolic rate can be raised by about 250 calories a day through vigorous exercise over not exercising at all. Brisk walks will also raise the metabolic rate, but not as much. A good idea would be to have a workout every other day, and take a walk on the other days. The walking will keep muscles stretched and toned, and will help prevent the buildup of lactic acid, a cause of sore muscles.

Now for the reality. If you consume more calories than your body uses, the extra calories are stored by the body as fat. The stored fat is then used by the body when you need more energy than has been provided. This helps consume the stored fat in order to provide the additional energy. This causes less fat in the body, leading to weight loss.

That reality is most likely to be achieved through the time honored combination of exercise and the right diet.

Almost all of us have tried to lose weight in many different ways, and when one thinks about all of the new trends that are constantly appearing in the health industry, it is not too much to say that there are most likely thousands of ways in which a person can lose weight. But doing this in a way that promotes healthy weight loss can be difficult to get right, and this is very true when one thinks about the manner in which some of these trendy programs make one eat and exercise.

The health industry promotes the idea that the shorter the amount of time it takes to lose the weight, and the less effort that one has to put in, the better. But maybe one should question this idea. If one thinks about the nature of gaining weight and how this does take time, then surely it would make sense to realize that the amount of time taken to lose weight is probably going to be about the same.

Weight loss can be challenging, and it is important to realize that it will take a certain amount of time. In fact, in many cases we know that losing weight takes longer than we would like it to, but we have to be patient with the process. If you have ever tried a crash diet you will know that the results are extreme, and they don’t take long to achieve. But there is a disadvantage to these programs in the sense that is very difficult to keep off all that weight you have lost once you stop dieting.

If the human body goes through a period of starvation, it is trained into thinking that food is always going to be scarce and that in a way it almost has to treasure every morsel that is given to it. So instead of processing the food in the manner in which it normally would, the body turns most of the nutrients into fat as it tries to store food. This is done as a result of the body thinking that this is the only food that it is going to get and as a way of preventing future starvation.

You have to respect your body and be gentle with it. It is no good getting up one morning and wanting to lose all the weight within just a week. It is an excellent thought to wake up with the desire to be healthy, but one has to take a measured approach to weight loss.

The first aspect is perhaps most obvious and has to do with what one eats. There is no need when one is going on a diet to give up everything and place oneself in the position of just chewing on celery sticks for instance. Don’t over eat and eat only when you are hungry. Ideally you should have six small meals a day as this boosts the metabolism which means your food gets processed more quickly and there is less fat stored.

Secondly, you need to exercise but this must not be too much for your body to cope with. Make sure you just do an easy start and then you can increase the intensity as you go. Exercising three times a week is already a good step.

Just be patient and you will soon have the healthy weight loss you want.

It is no surprise that people always feel the need to lose weight. After all, no matter where you turn there are pictures and images of what people should really look like. The problem is that when people are dieting they don’t usually lean towards healthy weight loss options. Instead, they follow trend setting plans that fall short of the needed daily nutrition requirements.

You want to lose weight so you decide to only eat one small meal a day. The rest of the day you will just chew gum, or drink coffee. This kind of crash diet is not only unhealthy, but it will not work. The weight that is lost will come back very quickly the moment that you begin eating normally again. A healthy balance of foods is the only way to have good weight loss results.

The best way to lose weight is not to go on a diet, but to change the way you eat. Healthy eating is a lifestyle change. You don’t eat right to lose weight, but you do it to make yourself feel better inside and out.

When you start eating healthy you will not notice immediate weight loss. You will start feeling better and having more energy. You will find yourself looking better and feeling more self assured.

The key to healthy weight loss is eating right. This will not only help you to lose weight, but also to keep it steady.

Stay hydrated: Make sure that you drink plenty of water on a daily basis.

Fruits and Vegetables: Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables will help keep you nutritionally fit. Eating plenty of green leafy vegetables in addition to heart healthy fruits will put you on the right weight loss track and make you feel great.

Whole grains are important: A diet rich in fiber will not only have benefits, but it will also keep you full. Whole grain rice, pasta, and bread are full of fiber and other nutrients.

Don’t eat too much meat: Although meat is full of protein, a diet that is primary meat is not healthy. Your diet should primarily rely on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains with meat intake kept to a minimum. When you do eat meat choose low fat meats like chicken or fish. Red meat is high in fat and should be limited.

Curb your sweet intake: Eating foods that are high in sugar can cause you to take on way too much weight very quickly. An occasional sweet treat now and then will not hurt you, but don’t get carried away.

Changing the way you eat is just a part of the healthy weight loss regimen. Exercise is another important factor in staying fit. It will benefit you in ways you never imagined, not to mention keeping you motivated in your healthy new lifestyle.

Losing weight does not have to be done in a way that jeopardizes your health. You can easily shed pounds while staying fit and healthy. To keep yourself motivated try rewarding your progress with a spa treatment or gym membership. It will benefit your overall well being, and you will feel great in the process.

Eating healthy is a vital means of staying in good shape both inside and out. There is really no need to go on a diet to lose weight. By eating the right foods in the proper quantities, you will easily be able to maintain a healthy weight. Don’t forget to discuss any new lifestyle change with your physician.

What are some tips for healthy weight loss?

Safe and healthy weight loss begins with your own individual needs.  Few diet programs will be the best fit for everyone.

Begin by assessing any physical and/or emotional conditions that may have an impact on your weight loss.  Seeing your physician is recommended.

For healthy weight loss, almost all experts will recommend a combination of a healthy eating plan and regular physical exercise.

A safe and healthy diet should include all of the recommended daily allowances (RDAs) of vitamins, minerals, and protein. A healthy weight loss diet should be low in calories, not in essential vitamins or minerals.

It’s well known that the body requires a certain amount of vitamins and minerals to function properly and remain healthy. A healthy diet can supply your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs.  Problems and disorders will almost certainly arise if your diet is not supplying your body with these essential elements.

How much weight can I safely lose on a healthy weight loss program?

It’s safe to lose about two pounds a week.

What about sleep and healthy weight loss?

Sleep deprivation increases hunger, and slows down metabolism. This makes it more difficult to maintain or lose weight. The level of cortisol is increased, and this promotes increased appetite, cravings for sugar, and weight gain.  Be sure to get the proper amount of sleep.

What is the Glycemic Index?

The Glycemic Index measures the impact of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels.

Carbohydrates that break down slowly in your body encourage stable blood sugar levels. This is good, so they rate well or ‘low’ on the Glycemic Index.

Carbohydrates that break down quickly cause a spike in your insulin level. High insulin levels can cause your body to store fat. This is bad, so they rate bad or ‘high’ on the index. They most often leave you hungry soon after a meal.

For healthy weight loss, you should become familiar with the glycemic value of the foods you eat, and stay away from ‘bad carbs’ (high glycemic values).

Instead, strive to include more ‘good carbs’ (low glycemic values) in your diet. This helps keep your blood sugar levels stable and your appetite in check.

(Remember: High Glycemic Value = ‘Bad’.  Low Glycemic Value = ‘Good’)

Is skipping meals good for healthy weight loss?

No.  Skipping meals does not help weight loss or dieting. Skipping meals leads to low blood sugar. This can cause sudden hunger pangs which can cause food cravings. This isn’t good for weight loss.

Diet research indicates that people who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight than those who eat a proper breakfast.

A good way of dieting is to eat four or five smaller meals daily, rather than two or three big ones, or skipping meals. Why? It helps stabilize blood sugar and control your appetite.

Is breakfast important for healthy weight loss?

Yes.  Eating a regular breakfast does help weight loss. Having burned about 450 calories while sleeping, your body needs breakfast. So do make time. Breakfast is good for healthy weight loss. Spend 10 minutes eating a healthy breakfast.

Lose weight by eating good food, not by starving yourself. According to research data compiled by the US National Weight Control Registry, eating a regular breakfast is one of four habits shared by long-term successful dieters.

What is the biggest cause of weight gain?

We all gain weight the same way.  It’s difficult to lose weight if it isn’t understood how it was gained to begin with. The two primary ways are:

1. Consuming more calories than are used.

If you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight.  If you burn less calories than you consume, you gain weight.

One of the biggest problems in our Western society is that we super size way too many things, way too many times.  It costs very little to supersize your fries and coke.

When you eat out at restaurants, most times, the portions are huge. Have you ever gotten a four ounce steak at a steak house?

There’s no doubt: Super sized portions make super sized people.

Lesson?  Watch your portions.  Also – throw in a bit of exercise to burn up more calories.

2. We simply choose the wrong foods.

Foods that are highly processed and easily digested cause weight gain. They do this by rapidly raising blood sugar, causing a sudden insulin surge. That surge is known to cause obesity. And, we westerners typically include a large amount of fat in our diets.

Fat is dense in calories and leads to weight gain. Combine highly
processed foods with fatty foods, and you’re looking at unhealthy
weight gain.

Lesson?  Make a conscious effort to eat healthy foods. Keep an eye on the Glycemic Values of the foods you eat.

For real Healthy Weight Loss, keep these things in mind.  They’ll really make a difference!