Weight loss isn’t just about looking better. If you’re one of the nearly 130 million in the United States, weight loss is a basic equation based on eating the right foods and doing the right exercises.

Weight loss is really hard to achieve by yourself. Losing weight takes encouragement, support and possibly a community of people with the same goals that are determined to succeed.

Weight loss is extremely difficult when you feel like you are depriving yourself. Instead of being a positive and exciting experience, losing weight becomes a struggle against yourself. Weight loss is the major focus of the many people nowadays.

Being fat or having huge body seems losing their self confidence and could sometimes disturb ones peaceful world. Weight loss is of course, not something that merely happens overnight.

You can take pills, go on a crash diet, or deprive yourself of your favorite dessert, only to realize that you are only gaining back the weight that you want to shed off.

Weight loss is a big business. People are willing to do anything to drop a few pounds. Weight loss is not easy to do and can add to a student’s stress level and is even harder when suffering from sleep deprivation.

One must be very motivated, disciplined, patient, have a weight loss plan, be able to follow specific and realistic daily and weekly goals, and be honest with oneself.

Weight loss is simple, burn more calories then you consume. If you can fully understand that then you are on your way to losing weight.

Dieting requires present-moment frustration and self-denial with little immediate reward. Diets fail because people have not mentally prepared themselves for physical change (mind before body).

Dieting alone can help you lose weight. Cutting 250 calories from your daily diet can help you lose about half a pound a week: 3,500 calories equals 1 pound of fat.

Dieting separates us from the normal process of hunger and

sets us up for some very real physical effects which result in people who ignore their own survival mechanisms and starve themselves.

Current estimates indicate that one in five women is suffering from a severe form of an eating disorder, and eight out of ten have some of the symptoms of one or more of these illnesses. Dieting is a major industry, with so many different plans and programs for sale.

However, by living a healthy lifestyle, you don’t need to take drastic measures to lose weight and indeed, you don’t need to splash out on any fad diet plan. Diets claiming that eliminating carbs all together is the key to weight loss tend to be swimming with saturated fat and are often deficient in nutrients.

Some of these diets restrict the amount of fruits and vegetables that you eat which in many cases is not the

best choice for your overall health.

Diets that promise fast weight loss with hardly any effort don?t give you the skills you need to maintain your weight loss; in quite a few cases, these diet fads and quick fixes

can do more harm than good.

Most weight loss experts will explain that losing weight is not just about dieting. Dieting may conjure up visions of eating little but lettuce and sprouts–but you can enjoy all foods as part of a healthy diet as long as you don’t overdo it.

Many weight loss experts state that to successfully lose weight you must change your lifestyle and not merely go on

a diet. Diet pills generally come in two forms – appetite suppressors and lipase inhibitors. Appetite suppressors interact with hunger signaling chemicals in the brain.

Diets such as the Atkins diet or Zone diet suggest people eat more protein and fat while restricting carbohydrate to lose weight. Others, like those on a vegetarian diet, abandon meat altogether.

Diet pills should not be taken by someone looking to lose only a few pounds or by individuals with other underlying health issues. Dieters that make extreme changes to their diet to lose weight will soon tire of the restrictions and gain the weight back and sometimes even more.

Fad diets also contribute to many health problems including gallstones, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

The research on herbs by clinical physiologists led to the formulation of healthy herbal supplements that boast of the mechanism of reducing weight naturally. The variety of herbal weight loss products include pills,

injections, patches and other types of supplements. Many herbal weight loss products are marketed with the claims of being highly effective. For thousands of years herbs have been used for medicinal

purposes and has been proven to benefit our health. Herbs very simply are from certain plants and used for

The process of weight loss can be one of the most challenging journeys, and like all worthwhile ventures it is important to know what works and what doesn’t work. There are 5 weight loss tips that will help you shed the pounds and improve your health.

1. Eat at least 35 grams of fiber a day.

Fiber helps to reduce the absorption of calories from the food you eat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture proved that eating 36-50 grams of fiber a day left 130 unused calories in the stool. What does that mean exactly? That means that fiber literally pulled the fat out of the body. I know that may sound far fetched, but the research appears to back up this concept. Researchers at the University of Kiel in Germany determined that for every gram of fiber you eat, you eliminate between 8-12 calories. If you do the math, using a conservative number of 7, you could potentially eliminate 245 calories eating 35 grams of fiber a day. Pretty cool, huh? For more information on this concept read “The Fiber 35 Diet”.

2. Get 1000 mg. of Calcium From Food a Day.

Research shows that those people who get 1000-12000 grams of calcium a day from food lose more weight than those who don’t get enough calcium in their diet. Michael Zemmel, Ph.D wrote, “The Calcium Key: The Revolutionary Diet Discovery That Will Help You Lose Weight Faster”. Zemmel conducted a study with mice in which they were all fed a high fat diet so they would gain weight. Then they were divided into four groups. The first group was allowed to eat whatever they wanted. The second group had a low calcium, low calorie diet, and the third group had a low calorie diet but they were given calcium supplements. The fourth group had a low calorie diet, and they also received calcium, but the calcium came from non-fat milk. Results showed that high calcium groups lost the most weight and their amount of fat decreased the most. The group that received their calcium from milk, rather than supplements, lost the most weight and fat. To conclude, you will lose some weight if you take calcium supplements, but you will really see results if you get your calcium from dairy products such as yogurt, low fat milk and low fat cheese.

3. Eat smaller portions.
We are so conditioned to eat everything on our plate that we rarely think about whether we are actually hungry and need the food. Begin to think consciously about your level of hunger and start eating smaller portions during meals. While you are eating ask yourself if you are genuinely hungry. If the answer is no, put your fork down and set aside your leftovers for later. The food isn’t going anywhere. Learn to delay gratification and you will find that eating smaller portions will inevitably make you smaller as well!

4. Don’t Eliminate Your Favorite Foods.

People tend to become martyrs when on a diet. Some people almost seem to believe that a diet isn’t a diet unless they suffer. Weight loss should not be torture and you should not have to cut out “all chocolate” or decide you won’t eat ice cream for a whole year. Cutting out all of your favorite foods will have the opposite effect that you intended because you will suddenly start to crave every food you can’t have. The mind is a powerful thing; tell yourself that you can have your favorite food occasionally and it won’t have the same power over you.

5. Have the Right Mindset.

Don’t get caught in all or nothing thinking such as, “If I can’t follow my diet 100%, then I might as well quit”. It’s obvious why this thought pattern can be so detrimental. The idea that one has to be perfect is an unattainable goal. Understand that you will make mistakes and if you don’t give up you will learn from those mistakes. Don’t allow yourself to be short sighted. Some people think that because they are busy they can put their health on hold. Remind yourself of your priorities and remember that if your health fails, you won’t be able to participate in all the things that keep you busy now. If you follow these five principles you will find that your body will shrink and your overall health will improve.

The Atkins’ diet has been a craze for a couple of decades. Here’s how you can gain from it.

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All of you who are reading this article right now have definitely been on a diet at some point or the other of your lives. The battle of the bulge is an ongoing problem and we are always on the lookout for various means to win this war.

Along with exercise, our diet and nutrition also plays an important role in reducing our weight. Hence, this obsession persists in all of us to undertake some form of dieting. But going on a diet is definitely not an easy thing. What to eat and what to stay away from is always a perennial problem.

One of my friends told me that she ate the normal menu which she cooked for the family, but her weight loss recipe is “portion control.” This is a really simple diet plan. In this plan, you cut down on the portion of food you consume. For example, if you usually have two pieces of toast for breakfast, you should eat only one piece. If you normally eat two cups of rice for lunch, cut it down to one cup. In this way, you are automatically reducing your calorie intake by half.

Another popular method of dieting is to stop all intake of fatty foods and sugar. In this diet, you cut down on your oil, butter and ghee intake which automatically reduces your fat deposits.

While I was leafing through a magazine, I read about one of our Hollywood celebrities following the Atkins’ diet. This immediately aroused my curiosity about the diet. Though I have heard about the diet many times, I had no inside knowledge about it. So, I immediately set to work on it and found out certain basic facts’ about the Atkins diet which I want to share with my readers.

The Atkins’ diet made its first appearance in 1972 and was invented by its namesake, Dr Atkins. According to him, this method enables us to lose weight by inducing a change in metabolism. Our body burns both fat and carbohydrates to provide energy. If we reduce the intake of carbohydrates significantly, our body starts burning only fat to provide energy. This method is called “lipolysis”, which in turn induces ketosis. In ketosis, our body burns fat as fuel. Atkins also felt that ketosis will affect insulin production which will result in less fat being formed. And, once your body enters ketosis, your cravings for carbohydrates will reduce significantly which, in turn, will reduce your body weight.

The major difference between Atkins’ diet and other types of diet is that, while most diets restrict calorie, intake, the Atkins’ plan encourages us to eat more. While most of the diets recommend low fat, high carbohydrate intake, Atkins’ does just the opposite. Instead of carbohydrate and sugar, this diet wants us to consume plenty of fat and protein.

The core principle of the Atkins’ diet is that, by limiting carbohydrates, our body is forced to burn its stored fat, rather than carbs for fuel.

The Atkins’ diet has a four carbohydrates stage plan induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. With the help of these four stages, you can reduce as well as maintain your weight throughout your life.

Induction – phase 1: This phase lasts for two weeks, by the end of which you can obtain significant results. Another point is that, in this diet plan you can begin at any of the phase. But it is recommended to start with induction. As you cut back on your carbohydrates significantly in this phase, you will jump start your weight loss programme. In this phase, only 20 gm of carbohydrates are allowed and hence your weight loss is significant. As you drastically cut down on carbohydrates your body shifts into high gear and starts burning fat. This takes about 48 hours to occur and you may feel hungry and irritated for the first three-four days. But don’t worry, as soon as your fat starts getting converted to fuel, you will feel fit as a fiddle. Induction will strengthen your immune system and also improve our long-term health.

Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase 2: In this phase, the weight loss pace slows down as you add nutrient-rich carbohydrates to your diet. During this period, you will boost your body’s ability to burn fats as well as understand your body better. You will find the right amount of carbohydrates which you can consume and still lose weight. Your body will also prepare itself for permanent weight management. The amount of carbohydrates which you can eat is increased to 25 gm per day for the first week and increased in five gm instalment for the next few weeks. If your weight loss is significant, you can increase your carbohydrate intake. A person has to be on OWL till he or she is within three-five kg of their goal weight.

Pre-maintenance – (phase 3): Pre-maintenance is a practice run for lifetime maintenance. In this phase, you are fast approaching your target. As long as you continue to lose weight, you can increase your weekly allotment of carbohydrates by another 10 gm. You will be in this phase till you reach your goal and stay on it for one month. The ultimate goal here is to achieve a state of balance called Atkins’ Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE). The ACE is your individual level of carbohydrate intake wherein you neither gain nor lose weight.

Lifetime maintenance phase 4: In this phase, you have to focus on your individual ACE and strive to stay within two kg of your ideal weight for the rest of your life. By following a sensible eating plan, you gain energy, better health and confidence in yourself.

By following these four phases, you not only achieve your dream weight but are also able to maintain it throughout your life. You can learn more about this diet by reading the book, Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. But, as with any other diet, this plan also has its pros and cons. The good point is that this diet recommends exercise as a vital part of the weight loss programme. Another point to be noted is that you cannot start on carbohydrates after you lose weight as this will result in your gaining back all that you have lost.

Medical experts advise that people who have gout, kidney problems, diabetes or are pregnant women should not follow this diet plan. As this diet is very stringent, do consult your doctor/dietician for proper advice.

Your dietician will provide you with a proper menu chart as to what should be eaten, in what quantities, etc, based on your eating habits and general lifestyle.

Happy dieting and hoping to see slimmer and fitter readers.