Weigh Yourself Often

Here is a tip. Whether you are trying to lose weight or gain, the first thing you should do is weigh yourself. I’ve noticed a surprising number of people that would like to lose weight or obviously need to but have no idea what they actually weigh.

Could be they know they are too heavy but are afraid to admit it. Or perhaps they dread dieting and exercise. Or maybe they are just feeling guilty. If you are carrying too much body fat, ignoring the problem won’t make it disappear, and in fact the longer you wait, the harder it will be to correct.

Stepping on the scale frequently, while not perfect, provides excellent feedback and motivation. Members of the National Weight Control Registry database would probably agree. This is a group of folks that have lost 30 or more pounds and kept their weight off for at least a year. According to results of one survey, 75% of Registry participants weigh themselves at least once a week, with many weighing in daily. Founders of the database believe that members use regular weigh-ins as an early warning system and have a plan or strategy ready if their weight hits a specific threshold.

I don’t have a weight problem, but I’ve found that weighing in before and after exercise is an extremely accurate way to monitor dehydration.

A few years ago I ran the Singapore Marathon in scorching temperatures. In preparation, I discovered that I was losing too much fluid on my long runs (up to 6 pounds in 2 hours). Despite the heat and humidity in Singapore, I was able to maintain a decent pace even through the last 6 miles because I made sure to drink at every aid station. Weighing in before and after workouts lets you know how much fluid you’ve lost and how much you need to replenish.

Don’t be surprised if your weight varies considerably throughout the day. If you step on the scale daily, I suggest weighing yourself at the same time each day, preferably early morning before exercise or eating.

I would also weigh in after you workout just to see how much fluid you’ve lost. If you are trying to lose weight, then it’s also a good idea to record and track your weight every week, say Monday mornings.

While it’s possible to lose body fat without seeing immediate results on the scale, it’s unlikely that overweight or obese individuals will drop significant body fat without also seeing weight loss on the scale. Keep at it and before long the pounds will begin to drop, preferably at a rate of 1 or 2 pounds a week. Any faster than that is a sure sign that you are losing too much stored carbohydrate and water.

If you are trying to lose weight and see no downward trend in your weekly numbers after 3 or 4 weeks of trying, then it’s probably time to ask for advice from a nutrition expert or other health professional.

About the Author:
Dave Elger is a well respected authority within the running community having written hundreds of articles on the topics of running and wellness. You can contact him at http://www.daveelger.com. He also supports the Okinawa Running Club.
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

The Link Between Diet and Nutrition

You will be happy to know that the latest low-carb diet plans such as The South Beach Diet and The Zone are making more room for both diet and nutrition planning to lose weight and become more healthy.

The energy we use to drive our various body functions, including our heart, lungs, internal organs and motor skills, comes from a combination of protein, carbohydrates and fat.

That's why diets that suggest cutting out, or way down on carbohydrates is of real diet and nutrition concern. Carbs provide 40-50% of the energy our bodies need to function, cutting carbohydrates out of our diets completely is not a healthy option for most people.

That's why plans such as the South Beach Diet and The Zone take the view that diet and nutrition are important - and that you can still eat carbohydrates. The focus is much more on good versus bad carbohydrates and methods to curb carbohydrate addictions.

For instance, the South Beach Diet takes into account complex versus simple carbohydrates - the biggest difference being the rate at which - and amount - of glucose produced by breaking down complex versus simple carbohydrates.

The link between diet and nutrition is absolutely critical to your success in losing weight, gaining energy and living a healthier, disease free lifestyle.

About the author:
Jeff Smith
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Acomplia Proving to be a New Age Diet Pill

Tests show that the diet pill Acomplia has a wide range of benefits. The biggest test of the drug found that it has a long lasting impact on patients. Apart from helping people losing weight, it also helps them to keep them slim for a span of two years. It has been designed to suppress your appetite from the very first day itself and you will have better control on what and how much you eat.

Acomplia is an experimental drug developed by the French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi-Aventis primarily as a diet pill, but the drug works differently than most of its counterparts. People are losing weight safely, quickly and without any unwanted side effects.

Acomplia does not work as the other diet pills. The action of Acomplia works by blocking the CB1 receptor found in human physiological system called the Endocannabinoid system. This Endocannabinoid system plays a vital role in regulating the food intake and energy expenditure of the body. By taking the drug Acomplia, the action of cannabinoid receptors stops and in the process our appetite suppresses, resulting in weight loss.

Apart from helping in keeping those unnecessary fats away, the drug has also the potential to act as an antagonist for tobacco intake. Doctors say that the Endocannabinoid system is found to be disrupted by tobacco also. The drug restores the balance in the system reducing the dependence on tobacco. Since, most smokers are over weight patients, the drug ends up doing double function.

Clinically, it has been found that patients treated with the highest dose of 20mg each day with Acomplia tends to lose around 20 pounds of their body and the affect remain for around 2 years.

Though a new entrant in the obesity market, it is successful in making people believe that it is very effective. Characteristics like mild side effects make it more relevant to people. Though waiting for FDA approval, Acomplia is a new age diet pill providing relief to many obese people and smokers as well.

About the Author:
Clarence Carter received training as a healthcare scientist. She has been working in the same field and writes informative articles, weight loss being her pet subject. To find Acomplia, Xenical(Orlistat), Weight loss drug Tips, Childhood obesity, Acomplia Rimonabant, Phentermine, Reductil visit http://www.weight-loss-drug.co.uk
Added: 12 Aug 2006
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/33958.html

Herbal Phentermine the Natural and Safer Way to Lose Weight.

Human body is made of natural organic matters. Immunity system of the body strictly resists action of any inorganic foreign body entering inside it. Sticking with the same phenomenon, action of non-herbal medicines is opposed by the immunity system. While doing so, the immuno system produces suicidal effect and kills cells of the body. This leads to numerous complications and side effects.

Herbs were on the earth before the evolution of mankind, thus human body is well adapted to herbal products. Herbal medicines heal and cure benevolently without any side effects. Herbal medicines have existed as traditional and effective methods of curing diseases since time immemorial. Because of evolution of fast allopathic method of treatment of diseases, herbal method receded in the past. Severe side effects of allopathy have now turned people to understand the significance of herbal products.

Obesity is a worldwide disease associated with many health hazards. According to a survey more than 70% of the UK population between the age group of 56-65 years is suffering from obesity. The matter of serious concern is that there is a gigantic growth in child obesity. Excessive calorie intake is the prime cause of obesity which is accumulated beneath skin in the form of fats and provides the body a bulky look.

People are generally reluctant to use weight losing or anti-obesity drugs because of side effects of these pills. Herbal Phentermine can offer a natural and safer way to lose weight. Herbal Phentermine is a non-prescriptive drug which increases metabolic activities and suppress appetite in a natural way. For taking herbal Phentermine there is no need to consult doctor because it is free of any side-effect.

Herbal Phentermine stimulates natural thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is the process in which the metabolic rate of body increases above normal rate of metabolism. This process burns extra calories in the body. When thermogenesis is accompanied with the intake of appetite suppressant better weight loss results can be achieved. Herbal Phentermine can naturally suppress enormous urge for food along with stimulating thermogenesis, hence become a perfect diet-pill.

Phentermine produces side effects like irritation, sleeplessness, constipation etc. but Herbal Phentermine is free from all such side effects. The efficacy of herbal Phentermine in curing obesity is far much better than regular Phentermine.

Generally, herbal anti-obesity drugs contain ephedra, ma huang, and ephedrine. These are the extract of notorious Soma plant which is used in India and Iran as medication for asthma, hay fever etc. Any drug containing these constituents is harmful. Herbal Phentermine contains no such constituents therefore it is the safer and natural way of losing weight.

About the Author:
Clarence Carter received training as a healthcare scientist. She has been working in the same field and writes informative articles, weight loss being her pet subject. To find Xenical(Orlistat), Herbal Phentermine, Childhood obesity, Acomplia Rimonabant, Phentermine, Reductil visit www.weight-loss-drug.co.uk
Article Source: ArticleToGo.com

Diet Cleanse to Live a Healthy Way: Here is How

Once I came across a mother who would not allow her toddler to eat anything as long as the little boy does not finish his potty in the morning. Well, it is an extreme form of health consciousness. But it seems some way or the other the young mother was not absolutely incorrect.

Once I came across a mother who would not allow her toddler to eat anything as long as the little boy does not finish his potty in the morning. Well, it is an extreme form of health consciousness. But it seems some way or the other the young mother was not absolutely incorrect. It is only proper and hygienic to first empty our inside before loading our system with more foods! Ask the expert nutritionists and they will inform you unanimously that you have to cleanse first if you wish to nourish.

Here comes the relevance of the cleansing diet; it helps you to set you in the trajectory of the healthy living once again.

The question is when and how do you know that you need a diet cleanse? Just consider these:
Do you ever feel too sluggish to move any further?
Are you experiencing a feeling of heaviness lately?
Are you frequently suffering from bad headache in the recent times?
Are you experiencing disturbances in your sleeping pattern?
Do you think you are not having proper digestion?
Is the life becoming too uncomfortable due to the gas, bloating and constipation?

If you happen to suffer from any of these symptoms, a diet cleanse can help you to get rid of all these irritating symptoms.

The diet cleanse is a step by step procedure.

The first step begins with cutting on the all types of fast foods. Even if you are consuming the home prepared foods, avoid using different types of food additives. You also have to stay away from the foods that contain excessive amount of salts and the foods that are processed and canned. Also restrict consuming left over foods even if they are refrigerated. Also resist the temptations of calorie rich snacks and desserts.

Thus the first step of diet cleanse is to learn the benefits of fresh foods and how to keep meals simple. Simultaneously, cut on the size and frequency of food intake.

The second step of diet cleanse is to learn to distinguish between the heavy and light foods. The foods containing large amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats are referred to as heavy. Fruits, vegetables and herbs on the other hand are regarded as light foods with cleansing qualities.

An ideal cleansing diet is composed of right proportion of heavy foods and light foods. In a cleansing diet, the proportion of light foods is typically higher than the heavy foods.

The ultimate step in the diet cleanse is to eliminate types of animal based foods from diet. In order to prevent protein deficiency, plant sourced protein are introduced in the meals during the cleanse.

Fresh, organic vegetables and fruits are excellent detoxifiers. You have to add to it types of supplements and herbs to get the best result. Once your inside is empty of toxins, your system will be geared up once again to resume its functions and provide you the maximum nourishment.

About the Author:
Jason Uvios writes about "Diet Cleanse to Live a Healthy Way: Here is How" to visit : dual action colon cleanse, detox diet tips and detox diets.
Submitted on 2006-10-22
Article Source: http://www.articlesarea.com/

10 Possible Causes of the Obesity Epidemic

It's well accepted that reduced physical activity and fast food are linked to obesity. But the evidence that these are the main causes of obesity is largely circumstantial. To stimulate debate, experts suggest 10 other possible causes of obesity, outlined in the International Journal of Obesity.

1. Sleep debt. Getting too little sleep can increase body weight. Today, many get less shut-eye than ever.

2. Pollution. Hormones control body weight. And many of today's pollutants affect our hormones.

3. Air conditioning. You have to burn calories if your environment is too hot or too cold for comfort. But more people than ever live and work in temperature-controlled homes and offices.

4. Decreased smoking. Smoking reduces weight. People smoke much less than they used to.

5. Medicine. Many different drugs including contraceptives, steroid hormones, diabetes drugs, some antidepressants, and blood pressure drugs can cause weight gain. Use of these drugs is on the upswing.

6. Population age, ethnicity. Middle-aged people and Hispanic-Americans tend to be more obese than young European-Americans. Americans are getting older and more Hispanic.

7. Older moms. There's some evidence that the older a woman is when she gives birth, the higher her child's risk of obesity. Women are giving birth at older and older ages.

8. Ancestors' environment. Some influences may go back two generations. Environmental changes that made a grandparent obese may "through a fetally driven positive feedback loop" visit obesity on the grandchildren.

9. Obesity linked to fertility. There's some evidence obese people are more fertile than lean ones. If obesity has a genetic component, the percentage of obese people in the population should increase.

10. Unions of obese spouses. Obese women tend to marry obese men, and if obesity has a genetic component, there will be still more obese people in the next generation.

These other contributing factors deserve more attention and study. Even more explanations include: a fat-inducing virus; increases in childhood depression; less consumption of dairy products; and hormones used in agriculture. What do you think can be attributed to the epidemic?

About the Author:
Chester Ku-Lea is a health nutrition consultant and is the owner of AstroNutrition - a provider of premium health nutrition and sports supplements. Check out our Health and Fitness Blog!
Article Source: http://www.articlesnetwork.com/

Alli - An Amazing Pill That Relieves Obesity

Obesity as such is a disease encountered by many far and wide. It comes with future health risks like – heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension, prostate cancer, high blood pressure and back pain etc. To stay away from such future diseases, it is prudent that an obese individual try every possible method to get over obesity. But, having weight loss is no mean task. It is a tough task that requires determination and patience. Without any of these, weight loss is completely unachievable.

Like Xenical diet pill, Alli diet pill also helps lower the fat digestion when one intakes fat as a food content. It helps in excreting around one third of fat intake through normal bowel movement. Alli diet pill is a low dosage Xenical (Orlistat) diet pill. But that does not mean that its efficacy is lower than Xenical. This drug is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. The target of this pharmaceutical major is to introduce the drug as an OTC (over-the-counter) drug. Though Alli diet pill has not been approved by FDA for sale as of now, it has got an 'approvable letter' from it around six months back. But the manufacturer of this drug is quite optimistic about the fact that it may get the approval letter for Alli's sale as an OTC drug soon.

Alli works by attaching to lipases and blocks them from simplifying complex fatty acids. Lipases are those enzymes, which breaks down complex fatty acids to simpler digestible molecules. As lipases' action on complex molecules is subdued with the introduction of Alli molecules, the food intake does not get digested. This way extra fats are excreted through the system. As the extra fat is not digested, the body does not get deposited with fat.

When one exercises and follows a controlled diet program he uses up the energy stored as fat inside his or her body. This process of using up of fat from the body renders an individual to get slimmer and thus reverses the process of weight gain. There are some minor side effects associated with Alli as with Xenical. Side effects like – oily spotting, frequent urge for toilet, gas with discharge and yellow discharge are often visible. These side effects should cede once body adjusts to the introduction of Alli in the system. If the side effects persist for long one should consult a doctor.

An obese individual thinking of ordering and buying Alli weight loss drug can do it in future either from a local store or an online store. But an online store is the best option as these online stores hand out a number of discounts on its purchase. You can fill up a simple online form to avail the drug and get it delivered at your doorstep. These online orders will be easy as you can order and buy Alli anytime of the day from anywhere. Find through these online facilities what this amazing pill can do to relieve you from the clutches of obesity.

About the Author:
Clarence Carter received training as a healthcare scientist. She has been working in the same field and writes informative articles, weight loss being her pet subject. To find Xenical (Orlistat) diet pill, Acomplia pill, weight loss, Cheap Diet Pills, Alli diet pill, Lorcaserin, Phentermine visit www.weight-loss-drug.co.uk
Added: 28 Nov 2006
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/44334.html

9 Ways to Curb Your Snacking Binges

When you're dieting, the thing that can really wreck a healthy eating plan is that awful feeling that comes over you to just grab a huge bag of potato chips and polish it off while watching your favorite sit-com.

We've all been there before!

There are things you can do to help yourself avoid the ugly urge to snack uncontrollably.

1. First things first: Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Plan to have healthy snacks throughout the day. Do not skip meals or planned snacks. Skipping nutritious foods will make you feel uncontrollably hungry!

2. If you can, avoid purchasing any unhealthy snacks. There are so many "good-for-you" snacks on the market today, there is really no reason why you should have a cupboard full of ring-dings and cheesecurls. Start learning to read the back of the packages of foods - look at the fat content - if it says that the fat content is over 5% per serving - look for a different snack.

3. Here's a list of healthy snacks that are low in fat content, but still high in satisfaction (and I'm not talking about carrots and celery!):

• pretzels (watch the sodium content, though.)
• graham crackers
• any type of low fat crackers - (there are many different varieties - read the back of the packages to make sure that they are low in fat. Again, be wary of the salt content.)
• add some gourmet preserves to those lowfat crackers
• low fat cookies
• popcorn without butter (you can buy butter flavored salt.)
• a cup of fruit with non-fat cool whip on top or a spoonful of honey.
• fat free pudding
• a stick of sugar-free chewing gum
• a couple pieces of licorice
• a cup of raw veggies with non-fat salad dressing for dip (ok, so you may have to eat a few carrots.)

4. Treat yourself to scented candles. When you feel like you need a snack - light the candles and enjoy them! This actually does work - I've tried it.

5. Instead of a snack, have a drink. Try a non-caffeinated herbal tea with a spoonful of honey. There are several drinks on the market with no caffeine and no sugar - buy a lot of that stuff - different kinds - and keep it on hand. Before you go for a snack - drink 8 oz. of your favorite drink, then decide if you really need a snack.

6. Take up something you can do with your hands -- crochet, knitting, puzzles, cross-stitch, sewing, playing piano, paint your nails and toenails, weed the garden, do a little housework, look at a magazine for the fashions you will buy when you're thinner... In other words, get your mind off food and onto a healthy hobby.

7. Don't watch TV. TV encourages snacking - you're sitting there, you feel like you should be doing something - so you go for the snack. Also, most of the commercials are about food. Stay away from TV, take up reading or another activity in number 6 above.

8. When you're finished with a meal or a planned snack, brush and floss your teeth - this will help you stay away from food for about an hour.

9. THINK - just take about one minute to think about what you are doing. Go look at yourself in the mirror during this minute. Ask yourself, "Do I really want to eat this and PAY the CONSEQUENCE?"

Visit HealthCrazed.com for more articles, information, tools and resources to help you lose weight.

About the Author:
Renee Kennedy
Added: Thu Mar 17 2005
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