REVERSE DIET SOLUTION

Reverse Diet Solution - A Healthy Diet Check Up - From The Neck Up

2008-11-24T01:14:00.000-08:00

by Jill Miller from fit4lifeclub.com

If you have tried every so-called healthy diet plan on the planet and every exercise program from the latest fitness guru and repeatedly failed to achieve your weight loss goals, you probably need a "healthy diet check up...from the neck up."

There's no such thing as a healthy, fast, weight loss diet plan. Successful weight loss doesn’t just happen. It took more than a few days to reach the point where you are at right now. Give yourself a break and expect it to take awhile before you see measurable results. Take a leap of faith and follow some basic principles in your diet plan.

Begin with your "self talk." This is the conversation that runs through your brain continuously. What kind of conversation do you have with your self talk? What type of negative self talk has kept you from reaching your weight loss goals in the past?

If you had a chance to do it over again, would you change the dialogue? That’s a no-brainer isn’t it? Well, the good news is that you can turn the tide of negative self talk beginning right now. It’s never too late to begin and you start by reprogramming your self talk and beginning a whole new weight loss diet plan.

A good starting point is to begin with positive affirmations. Positive affirmations, spoken aloud with authority and belief, positively affect your attitude, focuses your thinking and lead to a course of action that will help you become the person you want to be and have the things that you want to have.

Begin by writing your weight loss affirmations on paper. You can begin with something like, "I want to lose 25 pounds before Christmas." That’s a worthy goal and attainable, but we need to put some work into structuring the affirmation.

First of all, "I want" gives the impression that what you desire is always in the future. In order to re-program your self talk, you need to trick your mind into believing that you have already achieved weight loss success. This is how your subconscious mind functions.

Your subconscious mind has no capacity for understanding the concept of time. Everything is in the moment. . .here and now. When you tell your subconscious mind that you "want", that is exactly what you will get. . .want. . .without ever achieving fulfillment. Unless you change your mental tape recorder, you will achieve exactly what you are telling your subconscious, that you "want to lose 25 pounds." You will "want to lose 25 pounds" for the rest of your days unless you change your self talk.

If your weight is 150 pounds and you desire is to weight 125 pounds, then you need to "be" 125 pounds from the moment you make the decision to change your self talk. What if you write your affirmation to read something like this: "I am healthy and fit, weighing 125 pounds."

It is extremely important that your affirmation is crystal clear because what you affirm is exactly what your subconscious mind will bring you.

You needn’t limit yourself to one affirmation either. Write another one that reflects your new exercise program. "I enjoy my healthy new diet plan," or, "I love the healthy foods I eat."

Write and rewrite until you are absolutely certain that you have written your weight loss goals "in the here and now" AND represent precisely what you desire. Only then do you begin to speak it aloud and do so several times a day.

Remember to use the present tense. "I acknowledge achievement in all my weight loss goals." "I have the skill and talent to exercise every day." "I am a winner." "I am grateful for all of my accomplishments no matter how small."

At first you will feel awkward and uncomfortable and you may not feel or believe what you are saying. It doesn’t matter, continue to speak them aloud with as much conviction as you can muster. It’s taken a long time to train your subconscious to use negative self talk. If you will persevere with speaking your affirmations aloud, firmly and confidently, you will be amazed at how quickly you can turn your thoughts around.

You didn’t hop on a bicycle the first time and just take off down the street. It took practice to train your body to balance on those two wheels. This will take some practice as well. Continue to repeat your affirmations aloud, several times a day for the next 30 days and you will be amazed at how much you change your thinking and attitude.

Above all, take action. Do nothing and nothing gets done. Do something and many things are placed in motion.

Regardless of what you are doing in life, you need to take action. Do something every day to put your plan into motion.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Why The HAPPY DIET Works

2008-11-24T01:12:00.000-08:00

by Kacy Carr

Understanding why and how the happy diet works.

There is a simple explanation and that being is you get to choose what you want to eat. Most diets today prove to be very stressful for many men and women in their quest to lose weight. This is because they are following instructions from others on what they should and should not be eating. How do these people know? What tickles your fancy?

Discover how the happy diet can work for you, what is the happy diet you ask. It is a diet carefully devised by youself with all the things that you like to eat. You get to choose your own meats fresh fruit and vegetables

Diets definitely work if you adhere to all the rules, break them then no results. Now let us get cracking on a diet that makes sense and guaranteed to put a smile on your faceJust imagine your own diet with all the juicy ingredients and succulent meats that suit your palette

Always consult a doctor if you are thinking about dieting or exercising as we individuals all differ in many ways.

A little research on daily intake of carbohydrate protein and fat is an important factor when devising your own diet. I suggest you browse magazines or approach slimming informational centres to find out about your chosen foods.

Find a list of all the foods that you know you are going to enjoy using in your recipes and that are good for helping you to shed those excess pounds. Then narrow it down to the ones that you want to have on your menu.

This part of the happy diet can prove to be very educational and fun to say the least. People accept diets and all the ingredients. This way you get to delve more intimately into the choices you have made for your own personal plan.

After checking all the important factors as in i.e. consulting the doctor and daily intake of fats etc. we are now ready for the physical side of things. A few ideas to help speed up the process (exercise) try dancing round the kitchen table with the kids they make think you are mad but who cares you are on a mission to find the new you. Spring clean not once a week maybe twice. This will help hurry things along and into the bargain a cleaner house. Remember this is your plan so do it when it suits you. Results will only come if you stick to what you started out to do.

Walking a great form of exercise, why not consider salsa lessons it all helps. Do not expect results over night

For starters (Excuse the pun) throw out the frying pan. Less grease on the plate to lose weightGrilling with out a doubt is a far healthier and tastier option.

Cut down (YES) cut out (NO) you can still nibble on little goodies. Just cut down? Watch where others go wrong, most diets of course will not work if the rules are broken. Now why would you want to break the rules on the happy diet when all that is on the menu was chosen by you? (It makes sense)

Consulting a dietician is a good idea for information. Joining a book club may also prove to be priceless in your quest. Make your own recipes to suit your own taste buds.

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Reverse Diet Solution - It's Never Too Late To Get Back Into Health And Fitness

2008-11-24T01:06:00.000-08:00

by Vikki Scovell

Hello people,

At this time of the year many of you go on holiday, or have the children at home, and adding to this the warm evenings, barbeques, and enticing beer gardens, many people find that they are slipping out of their good habits, and starting to feel sluggish. It is an often repeated scenario that effects many of you, including myself, that just when you seem to be getting somewhere, improving fitness levels, and loosing unwanted weight, life takes over, holidays loom, work tires you out, babies are born, and suddenly it seems as if you are back to square one. Many people feel that when they have taken time out from their exercise routine, or when social engagements and holidays have sabotaged their healthy eating habits, that they have to start from scratch again. This can seem daunting and unfair, and often is enough to put you off altogether. We feel that all the hard work is useless if you can loose it all so easily, and that it is easier not to bother, and that we have failed. This may lead us back to bad habits and spiraling low-self esteem, where it becomes harder and harder to get back into fitness and health.

It is never too late to get back into health and fitness.

I think that we should take a leaf out of the government’s book and replace the word FAILURE with DEFFERRED SUCCESS. Slipping out of your health and fitness routines is merely a normal part of the journey towards changing your lifestyle for the better for ever (no that is not an excuse for deliberately slipping out and buying that chocolate gateau). We should view these little excursions from out healthy routine as minor blips. Do not allow them to continue, don’t think about having to start again, just think about continuing with your good work. Try to see the bad times as an exception to the rule, and the good times as normal life, rather that the other way round.

Last week I was talking to my dad and he explained that they have had lots of visitors staying and provided them with lots of lovely (and naughty) food, and that next week they were having a dinner party and so he would be dropping out of his healthy routine yet again. He told me that he would start again after the dinner party, but I reminded him that he could continue to eat well until the dinner party, and then just take a day off. I think that this illustrates the way that many of us think about our healthy lifestyles, often it seems something that we can put off until later, but sometimes later becomes a lot later and sometimes it never happens. I am afraid that we have to be a little strict with ourselves, pick ourselves off the sofa, turn off that TV and get out there, book a badminton court, turn up to a class or go for a walk.

Summer is such a great time to take a look at your exercise routine and what you eat and make some more effort. If you go on holiday do not see it as a time to do all of the things you would never dream of doing at home, look at it as an opportunity to try some new pursuits such as fitness walking, sea swimming, pony trekking, skiing etc Take in the scenery whilst being active, visit markets to sample local fruit and vegetables, and if you are close to the sea, go to seafood restaurants and eat loads of fresh fish. If you are at home with kids, try some active pursuits with them, get down the farmers market and get them to choose some interesting seasonal fruits and vegetables. Go out into the garden and do some gardening, use the better weather to stay active, and then when the Autumn comes and most people are feeling remorse for the damage that they have done to themselves over the Summer, you will know that you calmly carried on living well and healthily.

If you find that you are struggling to fit everything in, then write down the way you feel when you are eating well and exercising regularly; more energy, sleeping better, feeling confident, feeling less stressed, having a more positive body image, feeling physically strong, feeling proud of yourself. Remind yourself of these things, and then continue with this healthy happy path. Forget the period of relapse, don’t feel bad about it, don’t let it put you off making the effort to get back into health, just calmly take the steps needed to get you back on track. Clear the rubbish out the fridge, telephone a squash partner, pick up a timetable from the gym, put a note in your diary and make an appointment with yourself to get fitter and feel better.

Health and fitness is about progression not perfection, don’t look back at where you went wrong, look forward and think about the things that you can do today to progress.

Nag over, cheerio until next time, and have a healthy happy week.Vikki.

Do you have any friends and family who could benefit from getting fitter and feeling better? If you do, then treat them to free copy of this newsletter, forward it to them, and get them to e-mail me with a request. E-mail getfitter@yahoo.co.uk subject: newsletter request. Would you like to bring health into the workplace? Getfitter now offers a corporate package, including yoga classes/courses, Massage, Nutrition and Stress Management seminars, team-building events, conference breaks, Company Wellness days and Healthy Friday a monthly wellness event. Please visit www.corporatechill.com or ring Vikki on 0117 3300655.

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Reverse Diet Solution - How To Lose 20 Pounds REALLY, REALLY Fast

2008-11-24T01:02:00.000-08:00

by Tom Venuto from burnthefat.com

Back "in the day" when I used to be a full time personal trainer and I met with clients in person at my New Jersey Health Club, the first thing I would always ask my clients during the initial consultation was:

"Tell me exactly what you want... and I'll show you how to get it."

Typical reply from client:

"I want to lose 20 pounds fast."

My reply:

"Are you SURE that's what you want? If I can show you how to lose 20 pounds REALLY, REALLY fast, will that make you happy?"

They nodded their head affirmatively as their eyes lit up in anticipation of the quick weight loss secrets I was about to reveal...

Their face went white when - with a totally straight face – I pulled out a hacksaw and started walking towards them.... menacingly.

Not sure whether to laugh or to run away in sheer terror, they said,

"What the heck are you doing?"

"You said you wanted to lose 20 pounds fast. This is the easiest, surest, most effective way I know to take 20 pounds off you FAST! In fact, I figure that right leg of yours might even weigh 25 pounds!"

I kept walking closer and started to get into sawing position, wielding my fast, effective and guaranteed weight loss tool...

"Bear with me because this IS quick, but sometimes it takes a few minutes for me to cut through the bone."

By this time, my client and I are either completely cracking up, or I have seriously scared the living you know what out of them, or they just think I'm a complete lunatic... (it depends on whether I was able to keep a straight face or not).

Finally, the light bulb goes on, and my client would see where I was going with this:

"Okay, smart alec," I get it... I don't want to lose WEIGHT, I want to lose FAT."

Sometimes I would be having so much fun, I would just keep on playin'...

"But why not? This is easy, fast and guaranteed - just what everyone wants these days... it's even better than taking a pill! Come on... let me hack it off! You'll be my next testimonial: 'I lost 20 pounds in 5 minutes!' Imagine what that will do for my business!"

"Very funny. I told you, I get it, I get it! I want to lose FAT, not muscles and bones. I need my leg!

Naturally, of course, I didn’t always have to pull out my trusty blade. Every once in a while... about as often as a total solar eclipse... a client answers my question like this:

"What do I want? Tom, I want to lose 20 pounds of body fat in the next 12 weeks. I want to do it slowly, safely and healthfully and then keep it off permanently. I want all the fat around my hips and thighs completely gone and I want a firm flat stomach. I want muscle all over my body while still looking feminine. I'd like to see myself at about 16% body fat and maintain all my muscle or gain a few pounds of lean mass if I can, especially in my arms. This is important to me because I want to set a good example for my kids, I want to be healthy and live to at least 90 and I want my husband to look at me and say, "I love your body, honey," and I want to be able to *honestly* say back to him, "me too!"

It is on these rare occasions that I know there is still intelligent life on this planet.

If you could answer the question, "What do you want" with the degree of clarity that this woman did, I don't think you would ever have any difficulty reaching your health and fitness goals... or any other goal in your life, for that matter.

This answer is what you call a very "well-formed" goal, backed up with lots of emotional motivation-inducing "reasons why."

"I want to lose weight" is a poorly-formed goal.

"Weight" is not the same as "fat." Weight includes muscle, bone, internal organs as well as lots and lots of water.

If you only get ONE thing from this article, get this:

WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IS TO BURN THE FAT, WHILE KEEPING THE MUSCLE!!!!

FAT LOSS is what you want, not weight loss.

If your body was 100% rock-solid muscle, with absolutely nothing that jiggled (unless it was supposed to), would you care how much you weighed?

I bet you wouldn't!

SO STOP WORSHIPPING THE SCALE AND START MEASURING YOUR BODY COMPOSITION!

By measuring your body fat, you take the guesswork out of your health and fitness plan and you get an accurate picture of what's really happening in your body as a result of your diet and exercise program.

Instead of worrying about whether you are losing muscle, or wondering if you are losing fat, you can measure it and KNOW for sure. (I always get a good chuckle when someone tells me they're worried about losing muscle when they don't even measure how much muscle they have!)

Instead of being confused by all the "opinions" from weight loss and exercise "experts" who are all telling you something different, you can MEASURE your body composition and based on the results, you can KNOW for sure whether your program is working.

A very wise man once said,

"A single measurement is worth a thousand opinions."

So, how do you measure body fat?

There are many methods. Thanks to technology, there are some methods today that are so accurate, they can tell you whether your left pinky has more fat than your right pinky! Unfortunately, many of them are either too expensive or they are inaccessible, being found only in hospitals or research facilities.

Instead of boring you with a lecture about all the various body fat testing methods, let me give you three quick and easy, practical suggestions:

Suggestion 1: Have a trainer or fitness professional measure your body fat if this service is available at your local health club. Sometimes, there's a charge - usually $15 - $25, although some clubs offer the service for free to all their members.

Suggestion 2: Purchase an Accu-measure skinfold caliper. The Accumeasure was designed to allow you to measure your own body fat in the privacy of your own home (you don't need someone else to measure you). Do a google or yahoo search to find a reseller.

Some people wonder if this is really accurate. Truth is, it's not quite as accurate as a multi site skinfold test from an experienced tester, but it's better than nothing. Besides, what's most important is not the "accuracy" per se, but the reliability and consistency of your measurements so you can track your progress. Skinfold calipers in general are not accurate or inaccurate, it's the person doing the test that is accurate or inaccurate.

Suggestion 3: If you have a spouse, roommate, or friend who can measure your body fat, you can purchase a "Slim Guide" body fat caliper. The Slimguide is the best inexpensive (about $20), caliper available for multi-site testing, but it wasn't designed for you to measure your own body fat like the Accu Measure. Other models of body fat calipers (if you want to splurge), range from $150 to $450. (At our health clubs, I use the electronic "SKYNDEX" caliper with the 4-site "Durnin formula.")

The calipers come with instructions, or you can use these formulas, which I have used and found to be very accurate:

4 Site formula for men (abdomen, suprailiac, thigh, tricep)

% fat = .29288(sum of 4 skinfolds) - 0.0005(sum of four skinfolds squared) + 0.15845(age) - 5.76377

4-Site Formula for women (abdomen, suprailiac, thigh, tricep)

% Fat = (.29669)(sum of 4 skinfolds) - (.00043)(Sum of four skinfolds squared) + .02963(age) + 1.4072

Source: Jackson A S, Pollock, M (1985) Practical assessment of body composition. Physician Sport Med. 13: 76-90.

Body fat percentages vary based on age and gender, but 20-25% body fat is average for women (15-19% is ideal), while 15-20% is average for men (10-14% is ideal).

Once you know your body fat percentage, then weigh yourself and record your weight and body fat on a progress chart. You can also calculate your lean body mass (muscle and other fat free tissue) very easily just by crunching some numbers:

For example, if you weigh 200 pounds and you have 10% body fat then you have 20 pounds of fat (10% of 200 = 20). That means you have a lean body mass (LBM) of 180 pounds. Now we're talking! With this data, you can get a really clear picture of how your exercise and nutrition program are affecting your physique.

Losing weight is very easy. Losing fat - and keeping it off without losing muscle - is a much bigger challenge. If you simply wanted to lose weight, we could just chop off your leg. Or, (slightly less painful), I could show you how to drop 10 - 15 pounds over the weekend just by dehydrating yourself and using natural herbal diuretics. Bodybuilders and wrestlers do it all the time to make a weight class. But what good would that do if it’s almost all water and you’re just going to gain it all back within days?

You don't have to "throw away your scale" like many "experts" tell you to. By all means, keep using the scale, the tape measure and even photographs and the mirror - the more feedback the better, but body fat is where it's at.

By the way, I recently bought a chain saw and a shiny new axe from Home Depot, and I've been practicing my "American Psycho" and Jack Nicholson, "The Shining" impersonations... so if you want to come to my office any time soon for personal consultation, you'd better have the right answer to my question, "What do you want?"

Copyright 2005 Tom Venuto

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Reverse Diet Solution - Diet And Exercise Tips

2008-11-24T00:57:00.000-08:00

by Allison Burr-Miller

The formula for weight loss is unique to the individual, but the path may begin with something as simple as a tasty low-calorie recipe and a 15-minute ab routine. The below mini-guide explains body mass index, popular diets and offers simple recipe modifications.

Working the Abs

The most popular area of the body people want to improve upon is their abs. If you feel trapped in the world of the mundane ‘sit-up’, there are many different ways to work your abs without killing yourself or needing to buy convoluted machinery.

Try doing scissor crunches:

First, lay down flat on your back with your legs straight.
Next, cross your arms across your chest and sit up until your elbows contact your legs.
Start off doing 3 sets of 25 or so repetitions.

If you have an exercise partner, or desire an exercise you can do with a partner, try doing sit-ups with a ball.

Get in a sit up position and on your way up, have a friend throw you an exercise ball (5-12 pounds ideally).
Go back down with the ball, and on your way up, toss your friend the ball back.
Continue this process until your friend tells you to stop. Just kidding! Try 3 sets of 25 reps again.

Body Mass Index explained

Your weight isn’t always indicative of your health and fitness level. In fact, it can be a very arbitrary number. Many experts suggest your body mass index (BMI) is a much more telling statistic because it considers your weight, height, and body type to calculate your body fat. In so doing, your BMI calculation gauges when extra pounds begin to be a health risk.

The BMI Formula: weight X (height X height) X 704.55

To calculate your body index, you divide your weight by the product of your height squared. Then you multiply by 704.55. According to BMI medical guidelines, if the number you come up with is 25 or less, you are of normal weight (if it is 18 or less, you are underweight). Body Mass Index calculators, such as the one found at http://www.arcamax.com/cgi-bin/news/page/1042/bmi can perform these calculations for you. The only information you need to enter is your sex, height, weight, and waist size.

Popular fad diets explained

There have been many diets introduced in recent years preaching that they can help you lose tons of weight in minimal time. There is weight loss success for some while others struggle to stay committed long term. The premise behind almost all of these diets (i.e. the Atkins diet, the grapefruit diet, vegan diets, etc.) is that an entire food group is being scantily used, if not, altogether cut out from a dieters list of allotted foods. Such drastic alterations in your diet could give you the short-term results you’re looking for, but actually may hurt your health in the long run. For this reason, it is important to know the ins and outs of a potential diet before you decide to jump on the bandwagon.

The Atkins diet pioneered the idea of the ‘evil’ carbohydrate
Vegan and vegetarian diets are often scorned for lacking protein (despite steps taken to incorporate non-carnal proteins into such diets)
Low-fat diets are faulted with providing too little fat, and consequently the body has nothing to absorb nutrients with
Weight Watchers and other such diets often require too much portion control for the casual dieter, and as a result seem destined for failure
The grapefruit diet – a rather extreme example of abandoning core food groups and nutrients

Food Label Meanings

Knowing what certain words on your food label actually mean is important. Common ingredients such as ‘flour’ and ‘high fructose corn syrup’ actually mean refined, sugar-filled carbohydrates, or ‘bad’ carbohydrates. According to health author Lee Dobbins, carbohydrates that come from fruit, vegetable, and whole grain sources often get a bad rap. However, if these foods are actually ‘put under the microscope,’ there is no reason to scrutinize their nutritional value – they fuel and cleanse your body.

Good-for-you Recipes

Dieting does not require cutting all of your favorite foods. If you make a few lifestyle decisions – substitute low-fat or low-calorie ingredients for those ingredients that contain higher levels – you can consistently eat well and not even notice. Recipe connoisseurs Kim Beardsmore and Jeff Rosales have a number of good-tasting as well as good-for-you recipes.

·Spicy chicken cacciatore can be prepared and contain less than 250 calories with a recipe that naturally calls for lean chicken breast and a tomato based sauce as opposed to fatty cream sauces.

·If you’re looking for a breakfast suggestion, try banana toast. If you alter the traditional French toast recipe by substituting whole eggs with egg whites and by using skim milk, you have a much healthier meal.

*About the Source: The complete ArcaMax Publishing Diet and Exercise guide can be found at http://www.arcamax.com/cgi-bin/news/channel/1042. Other news and special sections available at www.arcamax.com include vacation planning, gardening, parenting tips for the new school year, and much more.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Three Ways Music Can Help You To Lose Weight

2008-11-24T00:53:00.000-08:00

by Danielle Rivers from weightwellbeing.com

Music is the key to the soul. It can lift you up and put a smile on your face or alternatively it can bring you down and reduce you to tears. Music is powerful and fortunately you can use it to help with your weight loss.

The interesting thing about music is that the same track or song can induce different emotions in different people. If you met the love of your life during a particular song, then you probably enjoy it and feel happy when you hear it played on the radio. Another person may have been cruelly dumped by their boyfriend during that same song, played at the same time somewhere else in the world, chances are this song brings back all that pain and hurt the breakup caused.

Have you ever played upbeat music loudly when working out or been to a nightclub and found yourself dancing all night because the music was so good? Music not only generates positive emotions but it can also help to motivate you. Music can bring out the best in all of us, it makes you feel good and encourages us to move or dance. So how can music help you to lose weight?

Here are my top three tips to use music with your diet.

Choose your favourite music album and as soon as you wake up in the morning put it on. Listen to it as you have breakfast and get ready for your day. It will put a spring in your step and help you to be positive, you will feel capable of anything and that feel-good feeling will carry you through the day. Being positive and happy makes you much more motivated and you will find sticking to your diet easy.
Put music in your car. Listening to the radio can help to relax you after a hard days work. If you get home stressed out and grumpy, you are much more likely to go to the cupboard and overeat. Play music in the car, as loud as you like and have a good sing. Putting all your frustrated energy into singing will help you feel relaxed and give your mood a much needed boost. You will get home refreshed and energetic rather than exhausted and feeling down.
If in the evening you are bored watching television you will find yourself going to the cupboard to snack on foods. This is a really bad time for all dieters. Turn off the television and put some music on, do your household chores, have a dance with your children, play games or invite friends over for coffee. Not only are you not overeating but you are also spending quality time with your family or friends.

I cannot tell you which is the best song to listen to or even which album motivates people the most. The choice is yours. It will be different for everyone and will probably depend on many factors, age, taste in music, life events, lifestyle, etc. What I can say is have a good look through your music collection and choose several albums, this way you won’t get bored too easily and will enjoy the music. Try listening to songs you used to love when you were younger, it brings back happy memories and encourages you to lose those extra pounds

Think about buying a personal walkman or an MP3 player, both are small are portable ways to listen to music when you out and about. It might even motivate you into going for a long walk.Get some fresh air into your lungs and enjoy it. Don’t look at it as exercise, it is simply getting out of the house to stretch your legs.

Good luck with your slimming and I hope the music tips help you with your weight loss.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Who Wants To Know The Truth About Weight Loss, Fat Loss, And Metabolism?

2008-11-24T00:48:00.000-08:00

by Kurt Hurley from kreatefitness.com

"Who Wants To Know The Truth About Weight Loss, Fat Loss And Metabolism?"

-To reach a great height, a person needs to have great depth… Anonymous.

My hope with any program that I design for an individual is extraordinarily basic; it is to simply endow the client with the reality and verity regarding weight loss or more specificly, fat loss. Exercise and eating right have been both the passion and pursuit of the bulk of what makes up my life. I have no ulterior motives and no hidden agenda to sway or dissuade my clients or readers. Although my companies; Synergy Fitness Systems, Synergy Global Health Solutions and www.kreatefitness.com do carry a line of super-premium supplements, it is only because I was fed up with the poor quality and low nutrient factors of what the "MEGA" and "MLM" suppliers were pawning off on the consumer, including myself, that I chose to invest my own hard-earned cash and provide this "super premium" product line to those who were willing to become educated and enlightened about the efficacy of what they were taking into their bodies. Incidentally, this was after more than 5 years of research and development, production and a lifetime of application and education. I have said this before and I will say it again... I am not a guru nor do I care to be! Call me a pitch-man... I am... For the TRUTH! I will let my character; integrity and my honesty speak for itself. I am successful at what I do because of my ethics, values, and principles and deep-seated knowing, that what I am doing here is bigger than me, it is bigger than my current level of comprehension, that what I am doing is right and it is the right thing... It is REAL! So are my programs. Integrity is the cornerstone of my profession. I am not the first guy in the wellness, fitness or preventative health care industries to tell you that magazines are generally considered one of the most credible sources for exercise, nutrition and fitness information. But that's not always the case. You cannot believe everything you read.... One more time, let me say it again; you cannot believe everything you read! Quite a portion of magazine publishers own supplement companies, who would of thunk? By strategically placing information about "new supplement breakthroughs" into what is in fact an advertorial, not an editorial, the buy-ability is to a great extent more believable. That is exactly why magazines have become the ideal instrument for selling weight loss products and nutritional supplements. And so we have witnessed and can now bear testimony to the clever birth of the supplement catalog. Amazing…isn’t it?

Furthermore, in the game of losing body fat and that is the primary objective of not only my clients, but weight loss consumers on a whole, a daily caloric deficit must be achieved. This is a critical component and is undeviating. More simply put, you must expend more calories in a given day than you consume. There are three ways you can create this calorie deficit: 1) the most obvious is to decrease your caloric intake from food and increase the amount of calories expended daily through exercise, or you can break them down separately; 2) by increasing the amount of calories you burn daily through exercise or; 3) by decreasing the amount of calories consumed daily through food. Again, I repeat the first method is the most obvious and most effectual, although of the two components involved, the process of calorie expenditure is superior and is undoubtedly the more efficient method. It is also emphatic that you maintain muscle mass, while burning fat, the loss of muscle is not an option! As absurd as it may be, what you are truly looking to achieve is... Or more specifically what the objective is...is to eat the right foods for sustaining bodily integrity and employ exercise as your most significant fat-loss tool. Incongruously, what is practiced more often than not is the dead-opposite... Little to no exercise accompanied by severe caloric reduction (starvation). This both slows the metabolism and inhibits the ability to maintain lean mass. Exercise allows you to establish a caloric deficit and burn fat without diminishing your metabolism. Synergy is defined as an exponential multiplication of efficacious parts, elements or pieces, by placing two (2) or more effective components together... The act of combining strength training (intense-resistance-exercise) and cardio-respiratory exercise with adequate, abundant nutrition and proper hydration will result in exponentially multiplied results! SYNERGY, Baby!!!

Unfortunately, the most common approach to "fat-loss" is erroneous and incorrect. Commercialized and I mean to include a good deal of those; Dr. This-guy and Dr. That-guy authored or endorsed diets all contain the same or a similar yet masked versions of the same derogatory component... Exceedingly low caloric intake! This results in instantaneous "weight-loss"! Fantastic! Right? Wrong! Here is what is really going on... The loss of lean-mass and water! Now if body fat is what you are attempting to lose than why would you want to lose lean-mass, which is where ‘efficient’ metabolism emanates from in the first place? You don’t! It is physiologically impossible to lose fat for any prolonged period of time by starving yourself.

The human body, which indeed works in direct accord with the human mind, is unambiguously too intelligent for this to work. In an attempt to starve fat, you will in-fact starve muscle. Moreover, since muscle is where your metabolism emanates from, it is the prime element of your ‘prospective’ efficient metabolism. The truth is, not only is muscle a more efficient fuel source, but it is your body’s preferred choice of fuel, when starvation is invoked!

On a deeper level the greater injustice going on is that you are slowing down your metabolism even further or perhaps initiating the process of ‘revoking’ your metabolic rights depending on how many times and how severely you have "starved" your metabolism! Now that is not to say there is no hope for you, believe me... There is! But I must stress this point. When your body enters starvation mode, fat loss will severely slow or even cease as your body tries to conserve energy. This is fact! But you say conservation is good right Kurt? The answer again is wrong! Not where human physiological or metabolic function is concerned. I would venture to say that economy on a whole is not a good thing; I mean I would like to think that if I give more, more will come back to me... And If I give, I shall receive! Your body or more distinctly, your metabolism functions under this LAW! Ask Lance Armstrong, the man with the lowest resting heart rate of any living man. He is the fittest, most ‘fuel-efficient’ man on earth... WHY? Because he has mastered the art of spending! The harder he works, the more efficient his body responds and the better he becomes... Thus, so can YOU! Less is not best! Provide adequately, yet abundantly and appropriately (nutrition/hydration/sleep), spend...spend...spend (exercise, both aerobic and anaerobically) and do them in unity and accord of each other.

Until next time…

-To Your Absolute Success, Kurt Lee Hurley

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Reverse Diet Solution - The Simplest Weight Loss Tips No One Follows

2008-11-24T00:45:00.000-08:00

by Will Brink from bodybuildingrevealed.com

I have a Cheez-It problem. You're not listening, I really have a Cheez-It problem! I have never met a Cheez-It I didn't like.* Some people can't resist chocolate or ice cream, some people it's pizza or some other food or sweet. While I enjoy all of those foods on occasion, Cheez-It's are the food equivalent of crack cocaine for me.

It takes all my willpower to pass up the isle where the Cheez-It's reside on the shelves at my local grocery store. My ever-loving girl friend Kimberly rolls her eyes at me in shear disgust when she sees how weak I am to the power of these little crackers, which draw me in like a cheese flavored black hole. "But you have given advice on nutrition to millions of people, how could you of all people be so weak willed about some little cheese flavored cracker?!" she says. I hang my head in shame and avoid eye contact with her for the rest of the day....

The point of this introduction is to point out we all have our weaknesses and we are all human... even me. I find Cheez-It's to be cheese flavored morphine!

This small problem got me to thinking. If there is one thing I have learned after all these years of doing nutritional research, writing countless articles on the topic of nutrition, and working directly with people on their diets, it's this: it's rarely one single thing a person does that is sabotaging their efforts to lose fat and or gain muscle, but a bunch of little things that have an accumulated effect.

There are some amazingly simple behaviors and strategies we can all add to our nutritional goals and workout plans that will have a positive effect. Using my own addiction to Cheez-It's as the primary example, I am going to cover a few of these surprisingly simple yet effective strategies. A few issues to keep in mind:

Taken alone, these simple tactics will have very little effect. Used alone without any other dietary changes and an exercise plan, these strategies wont amount to much. However, as I mentioned, it's often many minor mistakes adding up to a lack of results for people, and taken in that context, these are some simple mistakes that can be avoided, hopefully resulting in an accumulated effect in a positive direction.
I didn't invent any of these tips. They are some of the oldest and simplest tips you will ever read. I don't even know who first came up with them, and I bet most people have seen these strategies in other places, such as various diet books, articles, or web sites. I do however think that they may be so old and so simple that most people with the best of intentions about their nutrition and exercise plan, don't follow these simple concepts.

These tips are more about behavior changes and psychology then nutritional science, study results, or research. I have written many articles based on the later topics, but this is not one of those. If you are looking for more in-depth science oriented information about nutrition, supplements, and fat loss or gaining muscle, I suggest reading my ebooks on the topic and the many free article on my web site.

Tip #1: Never Ever Go Food Shopping Hungry

This is one of the most effective strategies I know of to avoid unwanted junk and various snacks from finding their way into your shopping cart, which ends up in your home, which ends up on your butt!

Make sure to eat something before you go food shopping and you will be able to resist the junk that often finds its way into your cart. If I go food shopping without a good meal in my stomach, I often come home with a family sized box of Cheez-It's and feel like sh*& for days after eating the entire box!

Human hunger and appetite are regulated by a phenomenally complicated set of overlapping feedback networks, involving a long list of hormones, psychological factors, and others way beyond the scope of this article. Suffice to say, we often make snap decisions and impulse purchases with certain foods due to one or more of these feedback loops being activated due to an empty stomach while we shop.

Translated, your "willpower" to resist junk foods will be much greater if you eat something healthy at least 20-30 minutes before you go food shopping. You can either plan your meal schedule so that one meal is eaten before you go shopping, or have a snack (at least 20-30 minutes before shopping) which will have the desired effects.

A yogurt with some flax oil mixed in is a good choice, as is a half cup of cottage cheese and a handful of walnuts or some other nut. A protein shake or MRP will suffice, but solid food tends to be more satiating.

Tip # 2: Never Keep Snack Foods In The House

This tip is a logical extension of tip number one. If it does not make it into your cart at the food store, it's not in your house. However, many people use excuses like "I have snack foods for the kids" or "my spouse keeps a box of Oreo cookies in the kitchen cupboard" as reasons they can't avoid the snacks that sneak into their diets and sabotage their efforts.

Many of the foods we eat that we know we should not be eating are based on an impulse. Impulse control goes a long way here but no one will deny it's far harder to resist that impulse if your favorite junk food is under your nose. That's human nature. When I have an impulse for some Cheez-it's, I wont resist it well if it's only a few steps to the kitchen vs. having to get in the car to go get a box.

The former I can't resist, the latter I can. Remember an impulse is defined as "a sudden desire, urge, inclination." That means it's short lived and will go away given sufficient time, so it's a matter of not having foods in your house that allow you to act on the impulse while it lasts.

As for the excuse of the spouse, kids, etc. That is more an issue between your kids and or your spouse. Should the kids be eating that stuff anyway? No! I had a client tell me one day "I keep eating hot dogs 'cause I keep them in the house fort the kids." I said "so you're Ok with feeding your kids foods you know to be unhealthy for you and them?" She stopped feeding her family hot dogs shortly after....

...Bottom line here is, those foods should be occasional treats for both kids and adults, not staple foods that can be found in your kitchen. It's more an issue of teaching the kids good dietary habits young so they don't end up overweight unhealthy adults.

As for the spouse, I like to have some chips in the house, which I can resist without a problem. That is, unlike the Cheez-it's, I can walk past the chips without having to eat them all. I can regulate myself with them. However, Kimberly can't. Chips are to her what Cheez-it's are to me, so I make it a rule not to keep chips in the house.

Point being, your spouse needs to support your efforts by making some small sacrifices. If you were an alcoholic trying to avoid alcohol, you would (or at least should!) expect your significant other to not keep booze in the house. If they wont support your efforts here, then relationship counseling is in order or a long talk, and I can't help you there; sorry!

Tip # 3: Eat Off Of Smaller Plates

The first two tips are common sense, this one is less so. However, I find it helps, albeit not to a great extent. Again, how much we eat is based on many variables. One of them is the visual cues we get looking at the food we are about to eat. We are extremely visually oriented creatures and part of deciding how large an object is must be compared to other objects, in this case, the food we put on the plate in comparison to the size of the plate we put the food on. Some of you may remember this little visual test from grade school.

Looking at these two horizontal lines here, which one is longer?

Answer: both lines are identical in length. As you can see, the bottom "plate" looks longer then top "plate", yet they are the same length. It's a visual illusion that shows how our brains are set up to interpret certain visual cues. It is my experience that people will put less food on their plate if they eat from smaller plates as a smaller plate full of food looks like much more to eat then a large plate with the same amount of food on it.

I know for myself I tend to put 2 slices of pizza on a small plate and three on a large plate! Now this is only one minor cue we have to self regulating how much food we eat, and other feedback loops (i.e., hormonal, psychological, etc.) can kick in and easily offset this strategy.

For example, you could simply come back for a second helping using the smaller plates. However, it's my hunch (and it's only a hunch as research is lacking here) that over the course of say a month, a person may end up taking in fewer total calories using this strategy as has been my (admittedly anecdotal) experience with both myself and the many people I have given advice to over the years.

Again, as already mentioned, taken alone, this strategy will probably have no effects on your efforts to lose fat if there is not a specific diet and exercise plan involved in the overall equation. It is however one simple small change that may improve compliancy to your efforts. It would be interesting to see a study on this, but whatever effects it may have, would be subtle and fairly small I suspect. Even so, over the course of a year say, it may help.

Tip #4: Know Thy Self

Lesson here is, we are all human and we all have our weaknesses. Trick is to know your weakness and develop strategies for coping with them. How well do you know yourself? That is, do you know what cues/triggers tend to set you off? Have you examined that issue for yourself? It's essential to recognized the cues that sabotage your efforts. We all have them. Find yours and take steps to avoid them where possible.

For example, try making a list outlining the things you know tend to set you off and how you react to the, then add a column for how you could deal with it. For example you might write "talking to my crazy mother makes me anxious and I eat things I shouldn't immediately after the phone conversation" which would be followed by a suggestion of steps to change it, such as "always eat a meal right before talking to mom" and "only take calls from mom when I am ready and able to deal with her" and "go for a walk immediately after talking to mom to distress and give me time to get over impulse to eat junk" and so on.

Develop coping strategies to your known triggers. I know for example going food shopping on an empty stomach means I will most probably end up with a large box of Cheez-it's in my house. I have also found if I go shopping irritated over something I will buy more foods I don't need as food is one of many ways we self medicate looking for some comfort. Hence the term "comfort foods" which is commonly chocolate, ice cream, and so on.

Bottom line:

Learn what your hot buttons are that lead to a negative behavior. Learn to identify when it's happening. Develop strategies for coping with it.

How do you go about doing that? As entire books have been written on that topic, my advice will fall short here. That journey is also highly individual. For some it's working with a therapist or behavioral specialist, for some it's reading a few good self-help type books, and for some it's activities such as meditation, joining support groups, and others. It's also a life long journey.

Conclusion

The purpose of this article is not as much to supply tips for success in your fat loss endeavors but to actually remind people of what is stated in the intro to this article: most people fail in their fat loss/diet goals not due to a single mistake they are making (with exceptions) but many small events that have an accumulated effect that sabotages their efforts. If the tips in this article help, all the better.

Some people are amazed how many extra calories slip into their diet from snack foods that they are not accounting for, or the fact they tend to take the elevator when they could take the stairs, and so on. 99 out of 100 times the person that says "I have tried everything and nothing works" actually translates into "I have not stayed on any one plan long enough for it to have an effect and sabotaged it with small unaccounted for negative habits and behaviors." Now, if I can just get the funding for that adult Cheez-it rehab center I want to have built....

* Cheez-It's are a cheese flavored cracker made by Sunshine foods and can be found on the shelves of any major food store in the US.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Hoodia Gordonii - The Scientific Intervention

2008-11-24T00:44:00.001-08:00

by Roy Thomsitt from routes-to-self-improvement.com

The first scientific study of hoodia was really sparked by chance, as is often the case in scientific "discoveries". What started it all was not, in fact, an exclusive study into the hoodia gordonii, a succulent that looks like a cactus. South Africa’s national laboratory was conducting a much broader study. It was only because the San tribesman were known to eat hoodia gordonii that it was included in a study of indigenous foods.

It is not surprising that the interest of the national laboratory was aroused, and they started to focus seriously on the hoodia gordonii’s properties. It was tested on animals by including it in their food. The animals ate it, and then lost weight. It was then a question of isolating the ingredient that was behind this phenomenon. Or were these animals going to secret weight watchers meetings every week, without the knowledge of the laboratory? That may seem very fanciful, but then so did the idea of losing weight through munching a spiky succulent. This was, indeed, becoming extremely interesting.

This was no instant discovery with an instant explanation. The originally research went back to the 1960’s, when it was not obvious that hoodia gordonii had great potential as an appetite suppressant. It was about 30 years later that the South African national laboratory succeeded in isolating and identifying the ingredient in hoodia gordonii that had the effect of suppressing appetite. The ingredient was later to become known as P57.

When the laboratory found that ingredient, they applied for a patent, and licensed it to Phytopharm, an English bio-technology company. Phytopharm has spent more than $20 million already on research associated with hoodia gordonii. This research, which included clinical trials with obese volunteers, has yielded some promising results. Subjects given hoodia gordonii ended up eating about 1,000 calories a day less than those in the control group, who were fed a placebo. That is an impressively high figure, when you consider that the average American man consumes about 2,600 calories a day, and a woman about 1,900 calories.

According to Phytopharm, if you take this hoodia compound every day, your desire to eat goes down. That was illustrated dramatically in the research. So, all was looking very promising for the millions of obese men and women around the world.

Large pharmaceutical company Pfizer partnered Phytopharm in expanding the research, and a synthetic form of the critical ingredient was possible. However, the costs involved and the possible volumes were too low, to make it worthwhile, so Pfizer abandoned their plans. Phytopharm decided the only way to produce enough of the product was to grow the plants in massive volumes. So, that is what they set out to do, establishing hoodia plantations in South Africa.

The hoodia being used in the plantations is not precisely the same plant as that in the Kalahari, but is easier to cultivate. It is an enormous task, but one that Phytofarm are confident will bring success in meeting potential demand for genuine hoodia products. However, Phytopharm says it hopes to have meal-replacement hoodia products on supermarket shelves in a few years.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Is Emotional Eating Causing You To Blow Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan?

2008-11-24T00:39:00.000-08:00

by Eunice Coughlin from healthy-living-for-moms.com

You’ve done everything right this time. You’re eating lots of salad, fruit, and protein; using only low fat dressings and even staying away from white flour and refined sugar.

But then…you have an argument with your spouse. You are bored, stressed, depressed and giving up. You walk by the pantry and see nothing that will satisfy the sudden urge for sugar, salt, potato chips, candy, or whatever your particular poison of choice. So you go down to the grocery store and find what you need, go home and pig out! Maybe you don’t need to go to the store... maybe you’ve thought ahead because you knew this moment would come and you have a secret cabinet with all kinds of binge eating goodies!

Ok, well that might be a little dramatic. But most people have found themselves following a good, healthy diet and all of a sudden, because of some emotional upheaval, they’ve found themselves in the middle of an overeating binge. It can really blow your whole healthy eating plan. So what’s happening when you find yourself in this situation?And how can you stop emotional eating?

First of all, when you go on an emotional eating binge, strong emotions are causing you to experience stress. This is when your body goes into "fight or flight" response. You either "fight"or you "fly". All your energy is directed towards one of these responses. Cortisol is released and normally, this causes the energy exerted in fighting or flying to be replaced with an increase in appetite. You are supposed to eat to replace the energy burned.

However, in modern-day times, we are unable to follow through with the "fight or flight" response. Everything happens as it is designed to happen, except that instead of energy being burned, it is "stuffed" and we are left with an urge to eat.

So what can you do to stop emotional eating? I have found a very helpful book, "Lose It For Life" written by Stephen Arterburn and Dr. Linda Mintle, who suggest making a list of alternate activities when you find yourself in such a situation, such as taking a walk, take three deep breaths or call a friend. One other very effective way to battle these urges is to pray. As a Christian, when I find myself having a problem with unpleasant emtions, I seek release and findstrength when I turn to God. A moment of prayer can really help you find the balance you need to continue with your healthy weight loss plan.

Sometimes we turn to food out of loneliness or boredom. The same technique could apply. Talking to your friend or playing with your dog could be infinitely more interesting than stuffing your face with a cookie.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Weight Control Program Tips: Lose Weight Safely

2008-11-24T00:31:00.000-08:00

by David Arnold Livingston from yrweight.com

Losingweight is one of the major health concerns nowadays. That is why moreand more people have been painstakingly involved in various weightcontrol programs to lose a few pounds. However it can only lead todepression if the program does not suit its purpose. It is becausethese programs often cause misconceptions that build up high hopes,which can even add up or be the factor that can cause further weightgain if the chosen weight control program is not suited for theindividual. Some people want to lose weight fast which in reality isdifficult since it may take a few months before the body adjusts to thenew diet intake. There are several weight control programs. Some canhelp. Some make matters worse. To serve as a guide in choosing theright weight control program, the following information and tips can beof great help.

Successful weight control programs usually starton instilling a positive attitude towards weight gain. One may lose thedesired pounds but he can once again go back to the old habits of dietand can once again regain the lost weight. Losing weight can be easilydone if the mind is in total in control of the body. Successful peoplewho obtained the desired weight used positive mental attitude andoptimum self-control to push through the difficulties and temptationsthat can interfere with the chosen weight control program. Weightcontrol is not only meant to get the curvy figures shown in ads andmagazines. It is also meant to avoid the danger of several diseasesthat can abruptly end one's life. These diseases may includehypertension or high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases,gallbladder disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, respiratory problems andother forms of cancer.

In choosing the right type of weightcontrol program, safety must be of utmost consideration. The diet mustnot just be trimmed down but it must also include the nutrients neededby the body to keep on going. The recommended daily allowance must bethere including minerals, vitamins and proteins. The diet must haveless calories and fats which can be 30% of the total daily caloriescontent of regular meals. Skipping of meals is not advisable since itcan only create more cravings which can again add up to the overallweight. Food types that are high in fiber must always be on stock sinceit can be of great help in the chosen weight control program. Thesetypes of food may include vegetables, whole grain breads, cereals andfruits. Low calorie raw vegetables are also preferred. Keeping a listof the food or juice taken can help the individual to assess the eatinghabit so as to make the necessary changes needed for successful weightcontrol.

Commercial weight control programs can also be chosenbut be sure to have access to the vital information to be consideredsuch as the fees and costs involved. The dietary supplements or thetypes of food to be taken must not have any negative effects on themetabolism of the individual. Some diet supplements may cause allergiesand other side effects which can endanger the health or the overallwell-being of the individual. The maintenance of weight is consideredas the most difficult stage since there must be constant and persistentapplications of what should be done.

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2008-11-24T00:25:00.000-08:00

Reverse Diet Solution

Reverse Diet Solution - The Reverse Diet Solution Link

2008-11-24T00:08:00.000-08:00

Reverse Diet Solution

The Reverse Diet Solution

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Reverse Diet Solution - Exercise tips for weight loss from the experts

2008-11-09T03:35:00.000-08:00

The sources for weight loss are plenty .But still it is the exercises that rule the roost Often doctors combine exercises with other forms of weight loss .It is always better if you do some exercise or the other even if you are not obese .Take a look at some of the popular exercises that are very pocket friendly from the article.This article covers

Expert weight loss exercise regimen
Best exercise for weight loss?
Other suggested activities
Extra techniques while walking
Stationary Cycling
Aerobics

With the presence of various weight loss supplements and several indigenous methods of losing weight available on the market today, more and more individuals looking for ways to lose weight fast are opting for these options. However, we often tend to forget that until we exercise right and combine it with a healthy diet, all these weight loss supplements are not going to sustain the weight loss for long.

The relationship between exercise and weight loss is a long lasting one and one which has been known for ages. There are various types of weight loss exercises that individuals can opt for today. However, before beginning any weight loss exercise program, it is of utmost importance that you consult your doctor. Some of the other tips you need to keep in mind before beginning your weight loss exercise regimen are as follows:

Measure you body mass index (BMI) or just simply measure your weight before beginning your program and keep tracking them every four weeks. This will give you an indication of your progress.
Maintain a fitness journal or calendar. In this, mark out the time you have decided to dedicate to your workout - this can either be in the morning or in the evening after work. This will ensure that you do not schedule other appointments at that time and are solely dedicated to your workout.
It is also a good idea to plan your meals for the entire week beforehand as a healthy diet is very important to go along with your exercise schedule.
Let your friends and family members know that you are on an exercising and diet regimen for losing weight so that they can motivate you at every instance. Keeping oneself motivated to get into the habit of exercising is very important.
Set a fixed goal for every two weeks. If you lose that much weight in the given time, reward yourself for achieving your goal.

Once the basics are clear, it is now time to decide which is the best exercise for weight loss. While there are a lot of exercises you can go in for, it is important to remember that the best exercise is always something that you not only enjoy doing for at least 30-60 minutes, but it should also make you sweat a little. Even little activities such as playing with your kids for an hour will help you lose those extra kilos, while preventing your kids from becoming obese as well.

Other suggested activities can include playing golf without the help of a golf cart. Playing 18 holes without the cart will really make you sweat it out and if done on a regular basis, combined with other exercises, can do wonders for your weight loss program.

Walking

Walking is perhaps the most effective exercise for losing weight. While many believe that walking is simply not challenging enough, it is in fact exactly the opposite. Walking speeds up the body's metabolism, which continues for nearly 2-4 hours after you have stopped walking. This continued fast rate of metabolism in the body burns up fat rapidly.Walking is also the easiest exercise to do as not only can you do it anywhere, but it also does not require any special equipment. Adding some of these extra techniques while walking can help your metabolic rate even further:

Pump your arms as you walk.
Shorten your stride as you increase your speed.
Stand up straight while walking. Make sure that you are not slumping.
Walk briskly.
Drink sufficient amounts of water before, during and after walking.

Walking will not only help you reduce weight, but it will also meet your cardiovascular exercising requirements.

Stationary Cycling

Stationary cycling is also an excellent method of weight loss exercise. Stationary cycling or biking works in a similar manner as walking, in that it impacts the rate of metabolism in the body. Stationary cycling helps the body burn fat at a faster rate. Cycling at home also gives you the opportunity to either catch up on your reading while cycling, or even watching TV, listening to music, etc. So you can do it at your own leisure and yet achieve good weight loss results.

Aerobics

Aerobics are a set of rhythmic exercises which generally focuses on the large muscles of the body. This type of exercises are usually done while the music playing and you move your body according to the music. Being a cardiovascular workout, aerobics augments muscle strength, muscle coordination, and mobility, while boosting functional and physiological capacities.
There are several types of aerobic classes which are offered, and it is best to talk to the instructor beforehand in order to choose the one which is best suited for your purpose. Classes vary depending on the level of intensity, the level of impact required, timings, etc. Avoid doing aerobics everyday, and preferably stick to doing to it every alternative day, achieving a maximum of five to six days per week.

While exercising is the key to losing weight, it is also important that you do not overstress your body. Sufficient rest is very important for your body and gives it the time needed to recuperate. Also ensure that you are getting at least seven hours of sleep at night and don't forget to take care of what you are eating. A healthy diet including fresh fruits and vegetables, combined with proper commitment to exercising is the key to losing weight.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Best Exercise for Weight Loss

2008-11-09T03:21:00.000-08:00

By By Michael Carrera, MSc. and Natasha Vani, MSc., ATCP

Losing weight is all about expending more calories than you consume throughout the day. It is well known that this may be achieved by eating well and exercising, but it is not commonly understood which exercise program is the best for burning the most calories in a day.

The two main programs to discuss are aerobic, or cardio, programs and resistance, or strength training, programs. Each program acts on your body in a different way, so they should be examined separately to determine which is best for promoting weight loss.

An aerobic program usually consists of various forms of cardiovascular exercise performed three to six days per week. Assuming each session lasts 30 minutes and you are working at a moderate intensity, the caloric expenditure is easily about 300 calories per session. More challenging types of cardio and higher intensities may burn up to 500 calories in a 30-minute session.

Now, compare a cardio session to a resistance training session of equal duration. The resistance training session will burn roughly half the calories of the cardio session. The main reason for this is that during the cardio session your heart and your muscles are working continuously for 30 minutes. In a strength training session, after you take away the rest between sets and the rest between muscles worked, you are really only working for about 10 minutes.

So, does this mean that a session of cardio causes greater energy expenditure than a resistance training session of equal duration?

Yes, however there are other factors to consider which influence your caloric expenditure for the rest of the day after you have finished exercising.

Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is a term that is used often, but is not always understood. RMR is the minimum number of calories, or energy, required to fuel the vital functions required for life. These vital functions include things like breathing, circulating blood and mental function. When you exercise, your RMR increases due to chemical and hormonal changes and it stays elevated for quite some time after you exercise.

After a cardio session your RMR remains elevated for roughly two to three hours; however, the RMR has been reported to remain elevated for 10 to 15 hours after a resistance training session. After following a resistance training program for some time, your daily RMR may also increase as you build more muscle. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, so individuals with more muscle mass usually have a higher resting metabolic rate. The average female’s metabolic rate is roughly 5 to 10% lower than an average male of the same size simply because of females’ genetic predisposition to having less muscle mass.

As you can see, while a cardio program provides an immediate higher caloric expenditure, a resistance training program provides a caloric expenditure of the same magnitude, but spaced over a longer period of time. So, the answer to the commonly asked question “Which program is better for losing weight” is simple: follow a program that includes a combination of both strength and cardio training. This way you will receive all of the short-term and long-term benefits of exercising.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Exercise for weight loss: Calories burned in 1 hour

2008-11-09T03:16:00.000-08:00

Being active — either through physical activity or through a formal exercise program — is an essential component of a weight-loss program. When you're active, your body uses energy (calories) to work, helping to burn the calories you take in with food you eat.

Whatever activity you choose, the key is to commit to doing it regularly. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity most days of the week. Moderately intense activity or exercise should increase your heart and breathing rates and possibly lead to a light sweat.

This chart shows the estimated number of calories burned while performing a variety of exercises for one hour. Calorie expenditure varies widely depending on the exercise, intensity level and individual.

Activity (one-hour duration)	Weight of person and calories burned
	160 pounds (73 kilograms)	200 pounds (91 kilograms)	240 pounds (109 kilograms)
Aerobics, high impact	511	637	763
Aerobics, low impact	365	455	545
Aerobics, water	292	364	436
Backpacking	511	637	763
Basketball game	584	728	872
Bicycling, <>	292	364	436
Bowling	219	273	327
Canoeing	256	319	382
Dancing, ballroom	219	273	327
Football, touch, flag, general	584	728	872
Golfing, carrying clubs	329	410	491
Hiking	438	546	654
Ice skating	511	637	763
Jogging, 5 mph	584	728	872
Racquetball, casual, general	511	637	763
Rollerblading	913	1,138	1,363
Rope jumping	730	910	1,090
Rowing, stationary	511	637	763
Running, 8 mph	986	1,229	1,472
Skiing, cross-country	511	637	763
Skiing, downhill	365	455	545
Skiing, water	438	546	654
Softball or baseball	365	455	545
Stair treadmill	657	819	981
Swimming, laps	511	637	763
Tae kwon do	730	910	1,090
Tai chi	292	364	436
Tennis, singles	584	728	872
Volleyball	292	364	436
Walking, 2 mph	183	228	273
Walking, 3.5 mph	277	346	414
Weightlifting, free weight, Nautilus or universal type	219	273	327

Source: Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Whitt MC, Irwin ML, Swartz AM, Strath SJ, O'Brien, WL, Bassett DR Jr, Schmitz KH, Emplaincourt PO, Jacobs DR Jr, Leon AS. Compendium of physical activities: an update of activity codes and MET intensities. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000 Sep;32(9 Suppl):S498-504.

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Reverse Diet Solution - The Secret to Burning Fat Up To 300% Faster

2008-11-09T03:07:00.000-08:00

When is the best time of day to do your weight loss exercise? The answer is any time! The most important thing is that you just do it. Continuous cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, jogging, stairclimbing, or cycling, sustained for at least 30 minutes, will burn body fat no matter when you do it. However, if you want to get the maximum benefits possible from every minute of weight loss exercise, then you should consider getting up early and doing cardio before you eat your first meal - even if you're not a "morning person." Early morning aerobic exercise on an empty stomach has three major advantages over exercising later in the day:

Early in the morning before you eat, your levels of muscle and liver glycogen (stored carbohydrate) are low. If you eat dinner at 7 p.m and you eat breakfast at 7 a.m., that's 12 hours without food. During this 12-hour overnight fast, your levels of glycogen slowly decline to provide glucose for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep. As a result, you wake up in the morning with depleted glycogen and lower blood sugar - the optimum environment for burning fat instead of carbohydrate. How much more fat you'll burn is uncertain, but some studies have suggested that up to 300% more fat is burned when cardio is done in a fasted, glycogen-depleted state.

So how exactly does this work? It's quite simple, really. Carbohydrate (glycogen) is your body's primary and preferred energy source. When your primary fuel source is in short supply, this forces your body to tap into its secondary or reserve energy source; body fat. If you do cardio immediately after eating a meal, you'll still burn fat, but you'll burn less of it because you'll be burning off the carbohydrates you ate first. You always burn a combination of fat and carbohydrate for fuel, but depending on when you exercise, you can burn a greater proportion of fat relative to carbohydrate. If doing cardio first thing in the morning is not an option for you, then the second best time to do it would be immediately after weight training. Lifting weights is anaerobic (carbohydrate-burning) by nature, and therefore depletes muscle glycogen. That's why a post lifting cardio session has a similar effect as morning cardio on an empty stomach.

The second benefit you'll get from early morning cardio sessions is what I call the "afterburn" effect. When you do a cardio session in the morning, you not only burn fat during the session, but you also continue to burn fat at an accelerated rate after the workout. Why? Because an intense session of cardiovascular exercise can keep your metabolism elevated for hours after the session is over. If you do cardio at night, you will still burn fat during the session, so you definitely benefit from it. However, nighttime cardio fails to take advantage of the "afterburn" effect because your metabolism drops like a ton of bricks as soon as you go to sleep. While you sleep, your metabolic rate is slower than any other time of the day.

Burning more fat isn't the only reason you should do your weight loss exercise early. The third benefit of morning workouts is the "rush" and feeling of accomplishment that stays with you all day long after an invigorating workout. Exercise can become a pleasant and enjoyable experience, but the more difficult or challenging it is for you, the more important it is to get it out of the way early. When you put off any task you consider unpleasant, it hangs over you all day long, leaving you with a feeling of guilt, stress and incompleteness (not to mention that you are more likely to "blow off" an evening workout if you are tired from a long day at work or if your pals try to persuade you to join them at the pub for happy hour.)

You might find it hard to wake up early in the morning and get motivated to workout. But think back for a moment to a time in your life when you tackled a difficult task and you finished it. Didn't you feel great afterwards? Completing any task, especially a physically challenging one, gives you a "buzz." When the task is exercise, the buzz is physiological and psychological. Physiologically, exercise releases endorphins in your body. Endorphins are opiate-like hormones hundreds of times more powerful than the strongest morphine. Endorphins create a natural "high" that makes you feel positively euphoric! Endorphins reduce stress, improve your mood, increase circulation and relieve pain. The "high" is partly psychological too. Getting up early and successfully achieving a small goal kick starts your day and gives you feelings of completion, satisfaction and accomplishment. For the rest of the day you feel happy and you feel less stress knowing that the most difficult part of the day is behind you.

So, you say you're not a morning person? Take heart; neither am I. I can sleep in like you wouldn't believe! But I get up anyway because I know the effort is worth the results. When I have a bodybuilding goal that I am clearly focused on, such as reaching 4% or 5% body fat for a competition, I'm on my Stairmaster for 45 minutes every morning at the crack of dawn without fail. Sure it's a challenge at first, but you know what? After a few short weeks, It's no longer a chore and I'm "in the groove" - and you will be too. Just try it. Make a commitment to yourself to do it for just 21 days. Once those 21 days have gone by, you'll already be leaner and you'll be on your way to making morning workouts a habit that's as natural as brushing your teeth or taking a shower. Once you start getting used to feeling that buzz, you'll become "positively addicted" to it. The more you do it, the more you'll want to do it. Before you know it, early morning cardio will your new habit; you'll be leaner, your metabolism will be faster and you'll feel fantastic all day long!

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Reverse Diet Solution - Free Weight Loss Exercise Programs

2008-11-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

Exercising for weight loss doesn't have to be hard, just consistent. If you can get some form of exercise most days of the week, you will not only lose weight, you'll also be fitter. More importantly though, you'll live longer! Just a small amount of exercise can reduce your risk of heart disease significantly.

I have provided some exercise programs here for beginners. Choose one to start with then as you get used to that walking program, pick another and mix them up. Remember, start out at a low intensity and build it up as your body adapts. Any exercise is good so have a think about what you enjoy doing.

Have a look at our Goal Setting, and our Motivation sections. Incorporate those with the following programs and you will achieve your weight loss goals in no time!

Free Weight Loss Programs

Program 1

Start by exercising for 10 minutes, 6 days per week, or 20 minutes, 3 days per week. If you can do 60 minutes then even better.
Always start with a light walk to warm up, and then increase the pace of your walk.

Program 2

Warm up and stretch for 5-10 minutes.
Power walk for 5 minutes, slow walk for 2 minutes.
Repeat for duration of your walk.
Always complete a warm down before finishing the session.

Program 3

Warm up and stretch for 5-10 minutes.
Power walk for 500m, slow walk for 100m.
Repeat for the duration of your walk.
Always complete a warm down before finishing the session.

Program 4

Warm up and stretch for 5-10 minutes.
Jog for 50m, walk for 500m.
Repeat 5 times.
Always complete a warm down before finishing the session.

Program 5

Warm up and stretch for 5-10 minutes.
Walk up 20 steps (not floors), and then complete a 2 minute recovery walk on level ground.
Repeat 5 times.
Always complete a warm down before finishing the session.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they start an exercise program is they reduce the amount of activity they do for the rest of the day. They think "I've already done my exercise for the day" and they sit on the lounge. To really lose that weight you need to make sure that you remain active for the rest of the day. Don't spend the rest of the day in bed or on the couch!

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Reverse Diet Solution - Exercise and Weight Loss (continued)

2008-11-09T02:57:00.000-08:00

(continued)

How Much Exercise Should I Do?

Studies show that even the most inactive people can gain significant health benefits if they accumulate just 30 minutes or more of exercise or other physical activity per day.

For the greatest overall health benefits, experts suggest 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (see below) most days of the week plus some form of anaerobic exercise (see below) such as muscle strengthening activity and stretching at least two to three times a week.

If you have been inactive for a while, you may want to start with less strenuous activities such as walking or swimming at a comfortable pace. Beginning at a slow pace will allow you to become physically fit without straining your body. Once you are in better shape, you can gradually do more strenuous activity.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise is any activity involving large muscles, done for an extended period of time, that makes the heart and lungs work harder. Aerobic exercise can be done for weight loss, but it also provides cardiovascular benefits. Examples of aerobic exercise include walking, biking, jogging, swimming, aerobic classes, and cross-country skiing.

Anaerobic Exercise

Anaerobic exercise usually refers to resistance training, such as lifting weights. Anaerobic exercise is done primarily for increased muscle mass. Weight training is a form of anaerobic exercise.

Moderate-Intensity Activities

Moderate-intensity activities include some of the things you may already be doing during a day or week, such as gardening and housework. These activities can be done in short spurts -- 10 minutes here, 8 minutes there. Alone, each action does not have a great effect on your health, but regularly accumulating 30 minutes of activity over the course of the day can result in substantial health benefits.

To become more active throughout your day, take advantage of any chance to get up and move around. Here are some examples:

Take a short walk around the block.
Rake leaves.
Play actively with the kids.
Walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator.
Mow the lawn.
Take an activity break -- get up and stretch or walk around.
Park your car a little farther away from your destination and walk the extra distance.

The point is not to make physical activity an unwelcome chore, but to make the most of the opportunities you have to be active.

Before You Start Exercising

Before starting any exercise program, be sure to talk with your doctor. He or she can offer suggestions about which type of program would be best for you.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Exercise and Weight Loss

2008-11-09T02:51:00.000-08:00

Regular exercise is an important part of effective weight loss. It helps to control your weight by using excess calories that otherwise would be stored as fat. Physical activity also helps prevent many diseases and improve your overall health.

Your weight is determined by the number of calories you eat each day minus what your body uses. Everything you eat contains calories, and everything you do uses calories, including sleeping, breathing, and digesting food. Any physical activity in addition to what you normally do will burn those extra calories.

Balancing the number of calories you expend through exercise and physical activity with the calories you eat will help you achieve your desired weight. The key to successful weight loss and improved overall health is making physical activity a part of your daily routine.

The Health Benefits of Exercise

Research consistently shows that regular exercise, combined with healthy eating, is the most efficient and healthful way to control your weight.

In addition to helping to control weight, research shows that regular physical activity can reduce your risk for several diseases and conditions and improve your overall quality of life. Regular exercise can help prevent:

Heart disease and stroke. Daily physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke by strengthening your heart muscle, lowering your blood pressure, raising your HDL ("good" cholesterol), and lowering LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol), improving blood flow, and increasing your heart's working capacity.
High blood pressure. Regular exercise reduces blood pressure in people with high blood pressure (hypertension).
Diabetes. By reducing body fat, physical activity can help to prevent and control type 2 diabetes.
Back pain. By increasing muscle strength and endurance and improving flexibility and posture, regular exercise can prevent back pain.
Osteoporosis. Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation and may prevent many forms of bone loss associated with aging.

Regular physical activity can also improve mood and the way you feel about yourself. Exercise is likely to reduce depression and anxiety and help you to better manage stress.

Types of Exercise

It does not matter what type of physical activity you perform -- sports, planned exercise, household chores, yard work, or work-related tasks -- all are beneficial.

Over the past few years, exercise advertisements have targeted simplified exercise routines for weight loss and maintenance. Some exercise advertisements sell the belief that one machine will work your entire body and give you the results you need. However, many of these machines may only be good for one type of conditioning, such as cardiovascular; these machines also have limitations to the type of exercise you can do and they are not good for everyone. To determine the best type of exercise program for you, talk to your doctor and a certified athletic trainer.

(...be continued)

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Reverse Diet Solution - Weight loss and exercise: What works and what doesn't?

2008-11-09T02:35:00.000-08:00

It is heavily influenced by my experience as a personal trainer in the early 1990's. During that time, I saw literally hundreds of people try — and fail — to speed up weight loss with a program of regular aerobic exercise.

By aerobic exercise, I mean things like cycling, walking, rowing or jogging, usually performed for between 20 and 60 minutes in the so-called "aerobic training zone." Interval exercise, on the other hand, especially when you get the length of the work and rest intervals right, is another story entirely.

Despite what we've been told, aerobic exercise has very little effect on weight loss. There's been enough research over the last 25 years to convince almost anyone that aerobic exercise programs are not a very effective way to promote weight loss.

Weight loss

Most people begin an exercise program designed for weight loss with the intention of sticking with it. Unfortunately, the majority give up after six months, deciding they simply don't have the time to exercise regularly.

There are usually two reasons behind any decision — the real reason, and the one that sounds good! Individuals claiming, "they don't have the time" are often hiding the fact that their expectations were not met. Simply put, they were not making the progress they were promised. For many people, the benefits of aerobic exercise are not enough to justify the time and effort you put in.

On an intellectual level, most people know they "should do more exercise." However, any good salesperson will tell you that we don't make decisions based on intellectual reasoning. We base them on emotion.

Most of us exercise because, at a very basic level, we want to look and feel better. We exercise because it appeals to our sense of vanity and pride. We want to look and feel good.

The problem comes when there is a conflict between the results you expect from aerobic exercise, and what you actually get. Many people starting an exercise program are told they can expect to lose around two pounds of fat each week.

Some people do. But the majority doesn't.

It's easy to think the problem lies with you. Is it because your metabolism is slow? Are you getting older and burning calories at a slower rate? Is it in your genes? You stick to the program, and still you don't lose any weight.

What's going on?

Although it comes as a surprise to many, the majority of research shows that aerobic exercise has only a minor effect on weight loss.

Some evidence for this comes from a review of several hundred weight loss studies conducted by Dr. Wayne Miller and colleagues at The George Washington University Medical Center [5].

The team examined 493 studies carried out between 1969 and 1994. Miller and his associates wanted to determine whether adding aerobic exercise to a low-calorie diet accelerates weight loss. Twenty-five years of weight loss research shows that diet and aerobic exercise provides only a very marginal benefit (in terms of weight loss) when compared to diet alone.

The average weight loss after a 15-week program of regular aerobic exercise was seven pounds. Over the same period, dieting cut weight by roughly 17 pounds. When exercise and diet were combined, average weight loss was 20 pounds — just three pounds more than diet alone.

A study completed at Appalachian State University also shows that aerobic exercise has little effect on body composition over a 12-week period [7].

The research team assigned a group of 91 obese women to one of four groups. Group one followed a restricted calorie diet (1,200 - 1,300 calories per day), while group two performed aerobic exercise for 45 minutes, five days each week. A third group combined exercise and diet. The fourth group acted as controls.

The exercise-only group lost just three pounds. This is despite the fact they were exercising for almost four hours each week. Not surprisingly, the women combining diet and exercise got the best results, losing 16 pounds of fat. However, this was only one pound more than the group on the diet. These disappointing results led the researchers to conclude that aerobic exercise has only a "minor, nonsignificant effect" on fat loss.

A study at Pennsylvania State University shows similar results [10]. A group of men took part in a 12-week program of diet and exercise. Half the men dieted, while the rest used a combination of diet and aerobic exercise. Despite the fact they trained three times each week for up to 50 minutes (under the watchful eye of certified personal trainers), the exercise and diet group lost only one pound more fat than the diet-only group.

Research carried in the Journal of Applied Physiology also shows that aerobic exercise has a minor effect on fat loss [21].

A group of 24 obese men was assigned to either a low- or high-intensity exercise group for 12 weeks. The men were told to maintain their dietary habits during the study.

The exercise program consisted of cycling at either low-intensity (40% VO2max) or high-intensity (70% VO2max) three times per week. Each workout burned about 350 calories. The duration of each workout for subjects in the low-intensity and high-intensity training program was 57 and 33 minutes, respectively.

After analyzing the results, the researchers conclude that exercise training "did not lead to significant changes in body weight and body composition."

Aerobic exercise again failed to deliver any meaningful results when the training frequency was increased to five times per week. A team of Canadian researchers, publishing their findings in the Journal of Applied Physiology, followed a group of men and women for four months [16]. Half the group followed a restricted calorie diet, while the rest combined the diet with five days a week of cross training (a mixture of treadmill walking, cycling and stepping).

At the end of the program, scientists were at a loss to explain why the diet and exercise group had lost just one-half pound more than the diet-only group, describing their findings as "perplexing".

In one 1997 study carried in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, group of adult males lost just four pounds in weight — despite three hours of exercise every week for 14 weeks [11]. Hardly the dramatic results we're promised when joining a gym.

Many people believe they need to spend six hours or more in the gym each week to get the results they're looking for [9]. And it's true that for aerobic exercise to be effective, you need to do a lot of it. Scientists from Canada report that three months of aerobic exercise was enough to cut body fat levels by an average of 13 pounds [15]. However, the brave souls who volunteered for this study trained for more than one hour, every single day, for three whole months.

Personally, all that aerobic exercise would bore me silly. The exercise program I use to shed fat requires that I spend no more than five hours in the gym each week. It's virtually identical to the program you'll read about elsewhere on this site. That's not because I'm lazy. It's just that I don't have the time (or the motivation) for the marathon workouts that all the "experts" tell me I need.

One of the main criticisms of weight loss studies is the small number of participants they use. The more people that take part in a study, the more reliable the results. The challenge for researchers is trying to stop people dropping out. When a research group from the University of Georgia attempted to examine the effect of aerobic exercise on fat loss, more than half the subjects quit before the study was finished [12]!

This shouldn't come as a surprise, especially when you consider the fact most subjects make such little progress.

In an attempt to make their study more reliable, researchers designed the HERITAGE Family Study, describing it as the largest, well-controlled training study of its kind [13]. A large group of 557 men and women was followed as they embarked on a 20-week exercise program.

Each subject was required to exercise three times per week for an average of 42 minutes. Researchers even went to the trouble of having each bout of exercise monitored by an exercise technician and a computer. Following a grand total of 60 exercise sessions over a period of almost six months, the average amount of fat lost was slightly less than two pounds, prompting scientists to admit that aerobic exercise "is not a major factor" in weight loss.

Calorie counters

This isn't surprising when you consider how many calories are contained in a pound of fat — the equivalent of roughly 3,555 calories. The most fundamental aspect of any fat loss program is to create a calorie deficit — to burn more calories than you eat. Unfortunately, aerobic exercise burns around 187 calories per session [7]. Based on this estimate, you'll need 19 workouts, each lasting 45 minutes, to lose just one pound of fat.

This figure might come as a surprise if you use the calorie counters on exercise machines to monitor calorie expenditure during a workout. Unfortunately, these digital readouts are not always accurate. The most reliable way to assess energy expenditure during exercise is to measure oxygen consumption. Each liter of oxygen that you consume generates approximately five calories of energy.

For example, if you exercise for 30 minutes and consume 30 liters of oxygen, you'll have burned 150 calories. Without directly measuring oxygen consumption, it's difficult to get an accurate estimate of energy expenditure during a workout.

Another factor that affects the reliability of calorie counters is the difference between net and gross calorie expenditure. Gross energy expenditure refers to the number of calories you burn during exercise plus your metabolic rate. Net energy expenditure refers to just the number of calories you burn during exercise.

Because calorie counters on some (but not all) exercise machines display gross energy expenditure, the figures they give can be misleading.

A good example comes from a trial carried in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition [7]. A group of overweight women took part in an aerobic exercise program. The program involved 45 minutes of aerobic exercise, performed in the so-called aerobic training zone (70-80% of maximum heart rate).

The average number of calories burned during each workout was estimated to be 255 calories. However, this figure doesn't take into account the difference between net and gross caloric expenditure.

The gross number of calories burned was 255. In contrast, the net figure (remember, the net figure represents the "real" number of extra calories you've burned) was just 187 calories. In other words, if you rely on the numbers given by the calorie counters, it might appear that you've burned more calories than you really have.

Muscle loss

When you lose weight from dieting alone, some of the weight lost comes from lean muscle tissue. Some experts believe that aerobic exercise prevents this reduction in muscle mass. But the facts tell a different story. Several studies show that diet and aerobic exercise both lead to a drop in muscle tissue [10, 15]. Aerobic exercise won't offset the loss in lean muscle caused by dieting.

When you lose weight by dieting, roughly seven of every 10 pounds lost over a 12-week period come from fat. Adding aerobic exercise doesn't prevent the loss of muscle. But it does reduce it slightly. You'll get better results when you combine the right diet with aerobic exercise and resistance training. Virtually all of the weight you lose with this kind of program will come from fat [10].

One popular claim is that aerobic exercise leads to an increase in your metabolic rate. However, researchers conducting the HERITAGE Family Study found that almost six months of aerobic exercise has no effect on resting metabolic rate [13].

Some studies do show that elite athletes do have a higher metabolic rate than weight-matched controls. However, scientists have been unable to establish whether this is due to a high calorie intake, a superior level of fitness or if it exists simply as an after effect of their last training session [6]. Furthermore, when an increase in physical activity results in a calorie deficit, there is evidence to show that the metabolic rate does not rise at all [6, 14].

Another popular misconception is the idea that aerobic exercise increases caloric expenditure after a bout of exercise, thus making a further contribution to fat loss. Unfortunately this is not always the case. Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (the name given to the increase in caloric expenditure following a workout) is more likely to occur after high-intensity exercise. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (such as walking or jogging) has very little effect on post-exercise metabolic rate.

Does this mean that aerobic exercise is a waste of time? Definitely not.

Weight gain

There is evidence to show that aerobic exercise helps to prevent the gain in weight that often happens following a period of dieting [2]. It's extremely difficult to stick to the kind of diet needed to maintain weight loss. As a result, many people soon return to their original weight.

Aerobic exercise plays a vital role in helping you maintain a healthy body weight. The National Weight Control registry contains a listing of subjects who have lost at least 30 pounds of weight, and kept it off for at least 12 months.

Although the people on the register use a number of different strategies to reduce body fat, the one thing they have in common is a commitment to regular exercise [4]. Scientists from George Washington University also report that regular exercise helps to maintain higher levels of weekly fat loss 12 months after starting a diet [5].

Researchers at Maastricht University have shown that just ten weeks on a very low-calorie diet actually reduces the number of fat calories your body burns each day [8]. This post-diet drop in fat oxidation could explain why many people find it difficult to stop the weight coming back once they've lost it.

A group of 40 overweight men took part in the study. They were assigned to one of two groups. One group dieted, while group two combined the diet with a program of regular aerobic exercise. The men in the exercise group completed three sessions per week, consisting of walking and underwater exercise. Each workout lasted for around one hour.

During the first six weeks of the study, subjects in both groups were given a very low-calorie diet providing just 500 calories daily. From weeks 7 to 10, they gradually increased their food intake.

Both groups lost roughly the same amount of fat and muscle. However, the subjects who didn't exercise had a reduced capacity to burn fat, both at rest and during exercise. The good news is that exercise served to prevent this decline.

What this means is that the benefits of low-intensity aerobic exercise are more apparent when you're trying to keep the weight off. The exercise doesn't have to be particularly vigorous or demanding. Just three hours of walking each week is enough to prevent the post-diet decline in fat oxidation.

Physical activity as part of a fat loss strategy also appears to encourage healthier eating patterns. Individuals who exercise frequently may perceive food as "activity fuel", and place greater importance on the quality of their diet.

Californian researchers have identified a direct link between physical activity and various markers of dietary quality [3]. They found that physical activity was associated with healthy eating habits, such as eating fruit and vegetables. More physically active individuals are also less likely to eat foods with a high calorie content.

That said, there are also people who eat what they want, then do hours and hours of exercise in an attempt to burn it off again. This is mistake. When it comes to shedding fat while preserving lean muscle, one of the most important hormones is testosterone. Although testosterone is considered a muscle-building hormone, there are studies showing that it also helps to cut body fat.

Unfortunately, too much exercise can lower testosterone. Endurance-trained men, for example, have lower testosterone levels than men of the same age who never exercise [19]. Men with low testosterone levels are also more likely to develop a pot belly [17].

In short, trying to make up for a poor diet by doing a lot of aerobic exercise is not a good idea.

Subcutaneous fat

Publishing their findings in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Japanese researchers have shown that dieting leads to a greater reduction in visceral fat [1]. Exercise, on the other hand, has a greater impact on subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat (pronounced sub-cue-tain-ee-us) is stored just under your skin. Visceral fat (pronounced viss-er-al) surrounds and protects your internal organs.

The women in the study took part in a 13-week program that combined exercise with a restricted-calorie diet. One group followed the diet, combined with 1-2 days per week of exercise. Group two made no change to their diet, but exercised 3-4 days each week.

Both groups lost roughly the same amount of fat. In the group who exercised more frequently, six of every 10 pounds of fat lost came from subcutaneous fat. However, in the group who exercised less frequently, less than three of every 10 pounds of fat lost came from subcutaneous fat.

Energy flux

Aerobic exercise also allows for a higher energy flux, which refers to the flow of calories (or energy) through your body.

A high energy flux means that you're eating a large number of calories, but balancing that with an equally high volume of exercise. A good example of someone with a high energy flux would be a cyclist taking part in the Tour de France. Despite the fact these athletes eat thousands of calories each day, they're still able to remain lean simply because they're doing so much exercise.

An example of a low energy flux would be someone following an extremely low-calorie diet while doing little or no exercise.

A high energy flux is linked with a high metabolic rate. Endurance-trained males, for example, in a high state of energy flux have a higher metabolic rate compared with a low energy flux state.

As they age, people are generally less physically active. The result is that they burn fewer calories each day. Unless they eat less to compensate for this reduction in calorie expenditure, weight gain is the inevitable result.

The good news is that you can minimize the age-related drop in basal metabolic rate by maintaining a high energy flux — balancing a higher calorie intake with an equally high volume of exercise. Not only will this help you to stay lean, it's also a great way to provide your body with more of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs.

The bottom line

Many people starting an exercise program are told they can expect to lose around two pounds of fat each week. Some people do. However, the majority doesn't.

Although it comes as a surprise to many, the majority of research shows that aerobic exercise — such as waking, jogging, cycling or rowing — in the so-called "aerobic training zone" is not a very effective way to lose fat.

At best, you can expect to lose between one-quarter and one-half pound of fat per week, depending on how much aerobic exercise you do.

Regular exercise is important because it promotes the loss of subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat is stored just under your skin. Visceral fat surrounds and protects your internal organs.

Aerobic exercise also allows for a higher energy flux, which refers to the flow of calories (or energy) through your body. This lets you balance a higher calorie intake with an equally high volume of exercise. Not only will this help you to stay lean, it's also a great way to provide your body with the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs.

References
1. Abe, T., Kawakami, Y., Sugita, M., & Fukunaga, T. (1997). Relationship between training frequency and subcutaneous and visceral fat in women. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 29, 1549-1553
2. Buemann, B., & Tremblay, A. (1996). Effects of exercise training on abdominal obesity and related metabolic complications. Sports Medicine, 21, 191-212
3. Johnson, M.F., Nichols, J.F., Sallis, J.F., Calfas, K.J., & Hovell, M.F. (1998). Interrelationships between physical activity and other health behaviors among University women and men. Preventive Medicine, 27, 536-544
4. McGuire, M.T., Wing, R.R., Klem, M.L., Seagle, H.M., & Hill, J.O. (1998). Long-term maintenance of weight loss: do people who lose weight through various weight loss methods use different behaviors to maintain their weight? International Journal of Obesity, 22, 572-577
5. Miller, W.C., Koceja, D.M., & Hamilton, E.J. (1997). A meta analysis of the past 25 years of weight loss research using diet, exercise or diet plus exercise intervention. International Journal of Obesity, 21, 941-947
6. Sjodin, A.M., Forslund, A.H., Westerterp, K.R., Andersson, A.B., Forslund, J.M., & Hambraeus, L.M. (1996). The influence of physical activity on BMR. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 28, 85-91
7. Utter, A.C., Nieman, D.C., Shannonhouse, E.M., Butterworth, D.E., & Nieman, C.N. (1998). Influence of diet and/or exercise on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in obese women. International Journal of Sport Nutrition, 8, 213-222
8. van Aggel-Leijssen, D.P.C., Saris, W.H.M., Hul, G.B., & van Baak, M.A. (2001). Short-term effects of weight loss with or without low-intensity exercise training on fat metabolism in obese men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 73, 523-531
9. Timperio, A., Cameron-Smith, D., Burns, C., Salmon, J., & Crawford, D. (2000). Physical activity beliefs and behaviours among adults attempting weight control. International Journal of Obesity, 24, 81-87
10. Kraemer, W.J., Volek, J.S., Clark, K.L., Gordon, S.E., Puhl, S.M., Koziris, L.P., McBride, J.M., Triplett-McBride, N.T., Putukian, M., Newton, R.U., Hakkinen, K., Bush, J.A., & Sebastianelli, W.J. (1999). Influence of exercise training on physiological and performance changes with weight loss in men. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 31, 1320-1329
11. Wallace, M.B., Mills, B.D., & Browning, C.L. (1997). Effects of cross training on markers of insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 29, 1170-1175
12. Evans, E.M., Saunders, M.J., Spano, M.A., Arngrimsson, S.A., Lewis, R.D., & Cureton, K.J. (1999). Body-composition changes with diet and exercise in obese women: a comparison of estimates from clinical methods and a 4-component model. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70, 5-12
13. Wilmore, J.H., Despres, J.P., Stanforth, P.R., Mandel, S., Rice, T., Gagnon, J., Leon, A.S., Rao, D.C., Skinner, J.S., & Bouchard, C. (1999). Alterations in body weight and composition consequent to 20 wk of endurance training: the HERITAGE Family Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70, 346-352
14. Bullough, C.R., Gilette, C.A., Harris, M.A., & Melby, C.L. (1995). Interaction of acute changes in exercise energy expenditure and energy intake on resting metabolic rate. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 61, 473-481
15. Ross, R., Dagnone, D., Jones, P.J.H., Smith, H., Paddags, A., Hudson, R., & Janssen, I. (2000). Reduction in obesity and related comorbid conditions after diet-induced weight loss or exercise-induced weight loss in men. Annals of Internal Medicine, 133, 92-103
16. Ross, R., Rissanen, J., Pedwell, H., Clifford, J., & Shragge, P. (1996). Influence of diet and exercise on skeletal muscle and visceral adipose tissue in men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 81, 2445-2455
17. Tsai, E.C., Boyko, E.J., Leonetti, D.L., & Fujimoto, W.Y. (2000). Low serum testosterone level as a predictor of increased visceral fat in Japanese-American men. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 24, 485-491
18. Epel, E.S., McEwen, B., Seeman, T., Matthews, K., Castellazzo, G., Brownell, K.D., Bell, J., & Ickovics, J.R. (2000). Stress and body shape: stress-induced cortisol secretion is consistently greater among women with central fat. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62, 623-632
19. Hackney, A.C., Szczepanowska, E., & Viru, A.M. (2003). Basal testicular testosterone production in endurance-trained men is suppressed. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 89, 198-201
20. Jacks, D.E., Sowash, J., Anning, J., McGloughlin, T., & Andres, F. (2002). Effect of exercise at three exercise intensities on salivary cortisol. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 16,
21. van Aggel-Leijssen, D.P., Saris, W.H., Wagenmakers, A.J., Senden, J.M., & van Baak, M.A. (2002). Effect of exercise training at different intensities on fat metabolism of obese men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 92, 1300-1309. 286-289

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Reverse Diet Solution - How to Lose Weight on the Rice Diet

2008-11-05T02:05:00.000-08:00

By eHow Health Editor

The rice diet is a low sodium and low fat diet that has helped people lose weight for years. Despite the name of the diet, you are not restricted to only rice on the rice diet. You actually have dozens of food options on a daily basis. After following a few steps, you'll be ready to lose weight on the rice diet.

Instructions

Step1

Read what the rice diet entails from the Rice Diet site (see Resources below). The website has an introduction to the rice diet and outlines the different phases of the diet.

Step2

Purchase the foods needed for the rice diet. To see what foods you will be eating, go to the Rice Diet site. Read what constitutes a portion, and pick the food items that interest you. The different categories of food items are dairy, protein, starch, vegetable, fruit, condiments, beverages and fats. You can also shop for the rice diet from the comfort of your own home at the Rice Diet Store website. At the Rice Diet Store website (see Resources below), you can find all the food you will need for the rice diet and have it delivered to your door.

Step3

Begin the rice diet by undergoing the detox phase of the rice diet. The detox phase is explained in great detail on the Rice Diet site. Click on the link and you will get a detailed outline of what you are supposed to eat during the detox phase.

Step4

Advance to the second stage of the rice diet. While the first stage is usually meant to last only one week, the second step is to be stayed on while you lose the weight you want to lose. You can find what you are allowed to eat each day on the Rice Diet site.

Step5

Continue to the third and final stage when you have reached the maintenance portion of your diet. This should be at the point that you have lost all the weight you want to lose. As with phase one and two, you can find information the Rice Diet site.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Rice And Raisin Salad

2008-11-05T01:55:00.000-08:00

30 g/ 1 oz raisins
100 g/ 3½ oz rice
Salt
½ cold roast chicken, boned and chopped
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
3 carrots, finely diced
100 g/ 3½ oz black olives, stoned and finely chopped
60 ml/ 2 fl oz grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

Method

Soak the raisins in warm water.

Boil the rice in plenty of lightly salted water for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water, so that the grains are separated.

Place the rice on a serving dish. Add the chicken, tomatoes, pepper and carrots.

Sprinkle over the raisins and olives. Dress with the oil and the vinegar and season with salt.

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Reverse Diet Solution - The Rice Diet Solution (continued)

2008-11-05T01:40:00.000-08:00

The Rice Diet Solution: How It Works

The Rice Diet Solution starts with 800 calories then gradually increases to the final, maintenance phase that allows 1,200 calories per day for the rest of your life. Experts warn that very low calorie diets less than 1,200 calories daily should be followed with medical supervision.

Clients who go through the North Carolina program lower blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and successfully lose weight. "When they come off fried foods, coffee, processed foods, and sugar and shift to more natural foods, their bodies feel better, migraines go away, symptoms for fibromyalgia disappear, and they no longer crave unhealthy foods," says Rosati.

Originally, the low-sodium diet plan was developed for patients with kidney disease to help lower blood pressure. Today, the severe sodium restriction works to trigger water loss. "The average American consumes 7,000 milligrams of sodium a day and when we reduce that to 50 milligrams in the detox phase one, they lose water and within 48 hours they lose their appetite," Rosati says.

Amy Jamieson-Petonic, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, with years of weight loss counseling experience, disagrees. "You can't blame salt for your appetite; there are so many factors that impact appetite including a huge psychological component that goes beyond salt."

The Rice Diet Solution only allows an average of 16 to 20 grams of protein daily, which is much lower than the Dietary Reference Intake recommendation of 46 to 56 grams per day. Rosati dismisses the national recommendation and suggests studies exist to support a lower protein intake.

The Rice Diet Solution: What the Experts Say

The Rice Diet Solution works best in a controlled environment, like the Durham clinic, with support services, medical supervision, and a boot camp mentality. When it comes to doing it at home, it may prove difficult. Additionally, many of the diet's recommended products are not widely available and require special orders.

The diet "has some good components including exercise, stress reduction, lifestyle changes, and an emphasis on whole foods," says registered dietitian Jamieson-Petonic. "What concerns me is when you eat less than 1,200 calories per day, your body thinks it is starving and responds by lowering basal metabolism, which could set up the undesirable yo-yo syndrome."

Which means such an inflexible and low-calorie diet is hard to sustain, could trigger binging, and has the potential for nutritional deficiencies. It's also a challenge when you eat out or attend social events.

Additionally, experts warn that low- may lead to the loss of muscle mass. "Lean and low-fat protein is important in everyone's diet," says Jamieson-Petonic, "especially if you are trying to lose weight, because it maintains muscle mass and keeps you feeling full longer than other nutrients."

Some experts would like to see outcome studies on the rapid weight loss documenting the long-term effectiveness of the Rice Diet Solution. "The 20 to 30 pound weight loss includes fluids, which do not offer the same health benefits as does losing the same amount of fat," says Jamieson-Petonic. She also believes that the fasting phase of the plan could result in side effects and advises consulting your medical doctor before starting the plan.

The Rice Diet Solution: Food for Thought

The Rice Diet Solution will cause weight loss due to its very low calorie content, but it may also take away some of the pleasure of eating, with its rules and limited food choices.

Inflexible, strict diets tend to be short-term fixes because dieters grow weary of the rules and cannot sustain the program for a lifetime. And with such diets it's questionable whether lost weight will be kept off when the likelihood is that the dieter will return to old eating habits.

The Rice Diet Solution may be a good kick-start to a healthier lifestyle but probably is too difficult to sustain long-term. Anyone with medical conditions or who needs to rapidly drop pounds may want to give this plan a try -- providing they get approval from their physician before starting on this semi-starvation program.

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Reverse Diet Solution - The Rice Diet Solution

2008-11-05T01:32:00.000-08:00

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

The Rice Diet Solution: What It Is

The Rice Diet Solution is an extremely rigid approach to reverse disease and cause weight loss. The detailed food plan severely limits salt, sugar, fat, and processed foods and causes rapid weight loss. Dieters are promised fast weight loss of 20-30 pounds the first week followed by 2.5-3.5 pounds per week in the later phases. Add the recommended exercise and you can lose even more weight.

The Rice Diet Solution is based on the 1939 Rice Diet Program, where dieters checked into facilities in Durham, N.C., for an intensive two to four week boot camp focused on treating obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and kidney disease.

Due to the continued success of that expensive in-house program, co-authors, Kitty Rosati, MS, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian; and her cardiologist husband, Robert Rosati, MD, wrote The Rice Diet Solution to guide those wanting to try the diet at home.

The plan consists of a very low-calorie, high-complex carbohydrate, low-sodium, low-fat, low-sugar, low-protein, whole-foods diet designed to detoxify, cause , and prevent or reverse chronic diseases.

The plan incorporates stress reduction through mindfulness, yoga, and meditation as well. Hundreds of recipes, weekly menus, tips, and diet advice are sprinkled throughout The Rice Diet Solution book.

NOTE: The diet is not recommended for anyone who has had a colon resection or impaired kidney function.

The Rice Diet Solution: What You Can Eat

Ricers, the affectionate term for those following the Rice Diet Solution, eat more than just rice -- but not much. Though rice is part of the plan, it is one of 30 foods available at any given meal.

The plan allows for whole-grain starches, low-sodium beans, fruits, vegetables, nonfat dairy and very lean protein sources. "Eating a diet high in fiber from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables will keep you feeling full and satisfied," says co-author Kitty Rosati.

The Rice Diet Solution plan has several phases:

Phase 1 -- one week

1 day: Basic Rice Diet (800 calories and 50 mg sodium)

2 starches and 2 fruits at breakfast, lunch, and dinner

6 days: Lacto Vegetarian Rice Diet (1,000 calories a day and 300 mg sodium)

Breakfast: 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1 nonfat dairy

Lunch and dinner: 3 starches, 3 vegetables, 1 fruitÂ

Phase 2 -- one week

1 day: Basic Rice Diet

5 days: Lacto Vegetarian Rice Diet

1 day: Vegetarian Plus Rice Diet (1,200 calories per day and 500 mg sodium)

Breakfast: 2 starches, 1 fruit

Lunch: 3 starches, 3 vegetables, 1 fruit

Dinner: 3 starches, 3 protein (or 2 dairy), 3 vegetables, 1 fruit

Phase 3 -- Maintenance. Same as phase 2, adding about 200 more calories per week, until you stop losing weight.

1 day: Basic Rice Diet

4 days: Lacto Vegetarian Rice Diet

2 days: Vegetarian Plus Rice Diet

The authors of The Rice Diet Solution note the diet is too low in calcium and vitamin D and suggest a once-daily multivitamin.

(be continued)

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Reverse Diet Solution - Rice Diet

2008-11-05T01:12:00.000-08:00

The Rice Diet is the basis for a medically-supervised, live-in program designed for rapid weight-loss over a period of 2 to 4 weeks or more, in the treatment of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and renal disease. The program operates as part of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Origins of the Rice Diet

The originator of the Rice Diet was Walter Kempner, born Germany 1903, who joined Duke University’s Department of Medicine in 1934. Kempner investigated the effect of diet on diseases including hypertension and diabetes, and found that they were rarely problems for people using rice as a staple food.

Kempner developed a diet of rice, fruit, juices, sugar, plus vitamin and iron supplements to help people with these and related health problems. The Kempner diet or Rice Diet has been used since 1939 in treating, often with dramatic results, more than 18,000 patients from around the world suffering from diabetes, obesity, heart disease and hypertension.

Rice Diet Program

The Rice Diet is not like fad diets which come and go, but has developed into a complete, proven and well-respected program for improving health. As well as meals using the Rice Diet, the program provides classes, groups and workshops for stress management and exercise, nutritional lectures, and personal medical supervision.

Menu Plans

Participants in the program have a limited menu selection initially, then choose from a range of items comprising fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, fish, and legumes (beans), varied daily. The name Rice Diet is somewhat confusing (the diet origins being the study of rice as a staple), as more than 30 food items are available, including a number of rices.

Sample Menu

Day One: Basic Rice Diet

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner: 2 Starches, 2 Fruits

Days Two through Seven: Lacto-Vegetarian Rice Diet

Breakfast: 1 Starch, 1 Non-fat Dairy, 1 Fruit
Lunch and Dinner: 3 Starches, 3 Vegetables, 1 Fruit

Basic rules of thumb on serving sizes:

1 Starch = 1 slice bread, 1/3 cup cooked rice or beans, or 1/2 cup cooked pasta
1 Fruit = 1 medium sized fruit, 1/2 banana, or 1 cup cut fruit
1 Vegetable = 1 cup uncooked or 1/2 cup cooked
1 Dairy = 1 cup milk, 1 cup yogurt, or 1/2 cup cottage cheese.

Low Salt

Salt is restricted in the Rice Diet, since the body swells with salt (sodium) and water. Most people’s diet contains approx. 4-7 grams of sodium, yet less than half a gram a day is necessary for normal body function.

Salt is a problem for patients with high blood pressure and kidney failure, and this is true also for most people if present in higher quantities in the diet. Salt stimulates the appetite, whereas herbs and spices simply flavor the food.

Limiting salt reduces several health risks, including cholesterol, blood pressure, heart size and weight, as well as reducing the need to medicate for these problems.

Low Fat

As well as being low-salt, the daily diet contains 5 gm or less of fat, about 20 gm of protein, and not more than 150 mg of sodium.

On completion of the program, resources are available for participants to continue with a healthy lifestyle, and to maintain the improved health gained while on the residential program.

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Reverse Diet 's Sponsors

2008-11-05T00:27:00.000-08:00

The Reverse Diet's Sponsors:

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Reverse Diet 's Partners

2008-11-05T00:16:00.000-08:00

The Reverse Diet 's Online Partners:

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Reverse Diet Solution - The Dangers of Excess Body Fat

2008-11-02T03:37:00.000-08:00

By Chad Tackett, the President of Global Health and Fitness (GHF), has degrees in Exercise and Heath Science and Nutrition, is a Certified Personal Trainer, and is a regular guest lecturer to both professional and lay audiences on the principles of effective exercise and good nutrition.

Most people's primary motivation for weight management is to improve their appearance. Equally important, however, are the many other benefits of proper nutrition and regular exercise.

Weight management through reduction of excess body fat plays a vital role in maintaining good health and fighting disease. In fact, medical evidence shows that obesity poses a major threat to health and longevity. (The most common definition of obesity is more than 25 percent body fat for men and more than 32 percent for women.) An estimated one in three Americans has some excess body fat; an estimated 20 percent are obese.

Excess body fat is linked to major physical threats like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. (Three out of four Americans die of either heart disease or cancer each year; according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey, approximately 80 percent of those deaths are associated with life-style factors, including inactivity.)

For example, if you're obese, it takes more energy for you to breathe because your heart has to work harder to pump blood to the lungs and to the excess fat throughout the body. This increased work load can cause your heart to become enlarged and can result in high blood pressure and life-threatening erratic heartbeats.

Obese people also tend to have high cholesterol levels, making them more prone to arteriosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries by deposits of plaque. This becomes life-threatening when blood vessels become so narrow or blocked that vital organs like the brain, heart or kidneys are deprived of blood. Additionally, the narrowing of the blood vessels forces the heart to pump harder, and blood pressure rises. High blood pressure itself poses several health risks, including heart attack, kidney failure, and stroke. About 25 percent of all heart and blood vessel problems are associated with obesity.

Clinical studies have found a relationship between excess body fat and the incidence of cancer. By itself, body fat is thought to be a storage place for carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) in both men and women. In women, excess body fat has been linked to a higher rate of breast and uterine cancer; in men, the threat comes from colon and prostate cancer.

There is also a delicate balance between blood sugar, body fat, and the hormone insulin. Excess blood sugar is stored in the liver and other vital organs; when the organs are "full," the excess blood sugar is converted to fat. As fat cells themselves become full, they tend to take in less blood sugar. In some obese people, the pancreas produces more and more insulin, which the body can't use, to regulate blood sugar levels, and the whole system becomes overwhelmed. This poor regulation of blood sugar and insulin results in diabetes, a disease with long-term consequences, including heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputation, and death. Excess body fat is also linked to gall bladder disease, gastro-intestinal disease, sexual dysfunction, osteoarthritiis, and stroke.

Reducing Body Fat Reduces Disease Risk

The good news is that reducing body fat reduces the risk of disease. At the University of Pittsburgh, researchers studied 159 people as they followed a weight management program. The subjects were under age 45 and 30-70 pounds overweight. Those subjects who were able to shed just 10-15 percent of their weight and keep it off during the 18-month study showed significant improvement in HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, waist-to-hip ratio, and blood pressure. In fact, according to the New England Journal of Medicine, body fat reduction is a more powerful modulator of cardiac structure than drug therapy.

For people with a family history of heart disease, an active lifestyle can slow or stop the process for all but those with serious genetic disorders. Studies by Dean Ornish, MD, have shown that a comprehensive intervention program that includes regular physical activity, a low-fat diet and a stress reduction program can even reverse the heart disease process.

Evidence also shows that an active lifestyle and its help in reducing body fat is associated with a reduced risk for some types of cancers: prostate for men, breast and uterine cancers for women. (Frisch, et al 1985)

In addition, regular physical activity and a low-fat diet are successful in treating non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM); for some patients, it has reduced or eliminated the need for insulin substitutes. In general, regularly active adults have 42 percent lower risk of developing NIDDM.

Gaining Weight Happens to Most of Us

The average American gains at least one pound a year after age 25. Think about it. If you're like most Americans, by the time you're 50, you're likely to gain 25 pounds of fat, or more. In addition, your metabolism is also slowing down, causing your body to work less efficiently at burning the fat it has. At the same time, if you don't exercise regularly, you lose a pound of muscle each year. Consequently, people are not only increasing their body fat stores, increasing their risk of disease, but they're also losing muscle, increasing the risk of injury, decreasing activity performance, and further slowing down metabolism.

Very few Americans exercise in any significant way. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports estimates that only one in five Americans exercises for the healthy minimum of 20 minutes, three or more days a week. In fact, the average American gets less than 50 minutes of exercise per week. Even worse, two out of five Americans are completely sedentary.

The Answer: Healthy Eating and Physical Fitness

But there is hope. Moderate weight loss--of fat, not muscle--and a healthy and active lifestyle--not dieting--have been found to lower health risks and medical problems in 90 percent of overweight patients, improving their heart function, blood pressure, glucose tolerance, sleep disorders, and cholesterol levels, as well as lowering their requirements for medication, lowering the incidence and duration of hospitalization, and reducing post-operative complications eight times less likely to die from cancer
than the unfit, and 53 percent less likely to die from other diseases. Fit people are also eight times less likely to die from heart disease.

So, are you willing to be patient and make gradual changes in your life that will lead to a healthier, happier you? Once you have made the decision to go forward and accept change, the hard part is over. Sure, there is plenty of work to be done, but it really doesn't matter how long this new process takes. If you allow changes to take place over several years, your body will adjust comfortably, and you will be more likely to maintain the healthy lifestyle permanently.

When you begin achieving improvements in energy and physical and psychological performance, the fun and excitement you experience will make the change well worth the effort. Action creates motivation! Good luck: I hope you enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a safe and effective weight management program.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Healthy diet plan to reduce your food intake

2008-11-02T03:30:00.000-08:00

Seven suggestions to follow that can help a person eat less food during a diet and throughout life are offered.

One of the most effective methods to lose weight is to eat less, combined with an exercise regimen. Figuring out how to do that, especially when one is used to ingesting large quantities, can be exasperating.

Here are some techniques that can help.

1. Become familiar with food labels and the quantities they use.

By using cooking utensils – teaspoons, measuring cups, etc. – and a small food scale, one can learn what constitutes a serving listed on the food labels. The measured amounts also provide a means to estimate how much one puts on a plate as well, especially in restaurants.

Becoming aware of what one is eating, and its caloric count, helps a person focus on controlling his or her intake. Of course, this alone won't prevent one from overeating, if that is one's habit.

2. Choose lower fat foods.

Selecting foods with low caloric value, such as vegetables

and fruits, will add bulk to one's diet, which can help make a person feel full during meals.

Some nutritionists found women reduced their average consumption by 450 calories a day by eating a large portion of such foods. Apparently, their bodies felt full following such a meal.

3. Keep a food diary.

Writing down everything one eats, with the caloric value for that amount, helps reveal exactly how much one is consuming, and consequently, where one can comfortably cut down through substitutions.

Recording all food eaten also helps a person eat less because then he or she won't have to write it down – and work at exercising to counter its effects.

4. Resolve to eat more slowly and take smaller bites.

It takes around 20 minutes for our bodies to register that we're full once we begin eating. And research has shown that people who wolf down their meals often overeat.

One technique that seems to help some people consume less is to take a bite, then put the fork down, chew the bite, swallow and then pick up the fork and select a second bite.

There is even a device available from dentists that can mechanically force a person to eat smaller bites.

5. Use smaller-sized plates.

Instead of the normal, 10" plates found in most china stores, purchase ones that are around 9" in diameter. They may be located in restaurant supply stores.

Or to really make a change, use the saucers or bread plates that come with a set of china.

By placing food on tinier plates, it appears like more than it is, helping to fool the brain into thinking that one is eating more with less food.

6. Remove from the kitchen all foods that can sabotage weight loss and maintenance.

Chips, cookies, candies all can be tempting to someone attempting to control his or her intake, especially if he or she grew up munching on them. To avoid unnecessary backsliding, just throw or give away the bags and containers of these highly processed products. Regard them more as poisons than as treats.

In their place, purchase fresh fruits to display on counters and stuff in refrigerators. Buy the common vegetables used for hors d'oeuvre (celery, carrots, radishes, etc.) and prepare them for snacking. Nuts and dried fruits can also be substituted for chips, but since they are calorie dense, their ingestion needs to be moderated.

7. Fill up on fluids instead of solids.

Drinking water or clear broth or iced tea (with sugar substitute) can help fill up one's stomach before a meal. Diet sodas can be drunk in moderation. All of this will help cut down on the consumption of more fattening solid foods.

Portion control is vital to losing and maintaining weight. Whatever system a person selects to slim down, he or she needs to make lifelong changes.

Otherwise, the strategy will succeed in the short term but fail in the long.

Instead of following current fad diets, choose to alter eating patterns that will last a lifetime. Some people decide to become vegetarians; others moderate their intake of higher fat substances, like red meats, fried foods, etc., while increasing their consumption of vegetables and fruits.

Deliberately choosing a new eating lifestyle helps ensure one of maintaining the weight loss, instead of dropping pounds only to put them back on once a specific diet is stopped.

Re-educating oneself about proper ways to eat will increase the chances of succeeding.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Nutrition for health problems

2008-11-02T03:10:00.000-08:00

There are nutritional changes we can make that can aid us in relieving medical problems from angina to yeast infections.

When we are suffering from an illness, we seek out our physician and take our medicines, yet the area of our lives we look at when we're ill should be the first stop on our road to healing, and that area is nutrition.

Simple, or even drastic, nutritional changes in our diet can be just as effective in treating an illness as medications. If it is not the first area one decides to work on when ill, it should at least be done along side the medical treatment.

It is important to note here that one should not attempt self-diagnosis and their own treatment protocol. With any illness, professional medical attention should be sought and nutritional changes should only be made under a physician's supervision. Here we will look at some common illnesses and recommended dietary changes that can aid in the healing of these conditions.

Angina: Angina is chest pain that onsets when blood flow to the heart is weakened, resulting in lack of oxygen. Opening the arteries and improving blood flow will help take care of angina. There are medications that can do this, but what about dietary changes? One way to keep blood vessel slow fat diet can shrink deposits and make blood cells less likely to stick to vessel walls. Supplementing vitamin E can aid in the prevention of angina, along with getting adequate magnesium in the diet. clear of fatty deposits is to eat low fat.

Colds: We all get them. The sneezing and wheezing, runny noses and watery eyes. What can you do for colds from a nutrition standpoint? Several things. The first is to eat some garlic. Garlic contains a phytochemical called allicin, that not only can lower your blood pressure but also acts as a natural antibiotic. Raw garlic is best, but any is better than none. Second, make sure you get plenty of liquids. Water, herbal tea and hot soup all work wonders. The extra fluid aids in thinning mucous which helps open your airways. Other foods that produce the same effects (but do it faster), are hot, spicy seasonings.

You can also grab some oranges, or any other foods high in vitamin C content, as vitamin C is proven to strengthen your immune system.

Dry Skin: Dry skin can be dull, flaky, scaly and chapped. It can occur on any one part of your body healthy skin cells. What you should do is get your oils from seeds and nuts and take an essential fatty-acid supplement. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, having many of them raw. Garlic, onions, and asparagus are high in sulfur, which keeps the skin smoothe. Vitamin A keeps skin healthy and can be found in yellow and orange vegetables, such as squash and sweet potatoes. or over your entire body. Dry skin is usually the result of not having enough oil and moisture in the top layers of your epidermis. so should you eat more oily foods? Absolutely not. You need to avoid fried foods and animal fats. Oils that have been heated can produce free radicals, and they can destroy

For beverages, you should drink at least a 1/2 gallon of water daily to gain moisture and avoid soft drinks, alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol and caffeine act as diuretics which cause the body to lost moisture.

High Blood Pressure: Hypertension can be a very serious problem and, as always, a physician's attention should be sought. Once that has been done there are nutritional guidelines that will help you keep your blood pressure under control. The first is to avoid salt. This does not mean only table salt, but you should read the labels of everything you consume to be sure it is low soldium, if not sodium free. Next you should increase your fiber intake. Research studies have concluded that adding fiber to your diet can reduce blood pressure. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, such as green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, garlic, melons, sweet potatoes, etc. Add fresh juices to your diet such as carrot and celery, citrus fruit juices and watermelon juice. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables will also put potassium, calcium and magnesium back in the diet. These minerals help regulate your body fluids, which in turn helps control your blood pressure.

Infertility: Did you know that there are things you can do nutritionally, whether a man or a woman, to increase your chances of conception? The first is to avoid all alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can reduce sperm counts in men, and, in women it can prevent the implantatin of the fertilized egg. Animal fats, fried foods, sugar and other junk foods need to be avoided. Men should increase their intake of vitamin C, as it can prevent sperm from sticking together which allows them to move more freely toward the egg.

For women the most important thing to do is maintain a normal weight. Being either overweight or underweight can upset your natural hormonal balance.

Motion Sickness: Are you going on a bumpy ride and fear getting motion sickness? If you choose not to take over the counter medications, try some ginger. Research has proven ginger to have anti-nausea effects, although they don't last very long. Its best to take powdered gingerroot capsules before your trip and as needed during. Avoid alcohol as it can disrupt your balance mechanism. Whole grain crackers and olive also make great travel companions as they keep nausea away by decreasing your salivation. Peppermint tea can help calm your stomach, or you can take peppermint lozenges.

PMS: PMS is the brunt of many jokes, but, to those who suffer from it, it is no laughing matter. Diet is an important contributor to PMS, and nutritional changes can aid in relieving the symptoms. First, one should omit salt, red meats, junk food, fast food and other processed food from the diet at least one week before the symptoms are expected. Avoiding these foods will help eliminate the bloating and water retention. Caffeine and sugar should also be avoided as they contribute to the feelings of anxiety.

What one should eat is lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds and chicken, turkey and fish.

Ulcers: Most people think that ulcers are caused by acid and stress. While they may be contributing factors researchers now believe that bacteria that lodges in the stomach and intestines can secrete chemicals that attack the intestinal linings and make it susceptible to erosion.

These dietary changes are meant to minimize symptoms and aid an already diagnosed ulcer in its healing. To heal, the body needs sufficient amounts of vitamin K, which can be obtained by eating lots of dark green leafy vegetables. Vitamins A and C also help ulcers heal faster, and zinc supplements have been shown to reduce pain while aiding with healing.

Snacking should be avoided as it stimulates acid production. Meals should be full size and eaten at regular intervals. Avoid drinking coffee (regular or decaf) and alcoholic vegetables. Also, eliminate milk as it stimulates acid production. Eat your vegetables soft and well steamed. For fast relief of severe pain, drink lots of water as it dilutes the stomach acid.

Vaginal Yeast Infections: If you are a woman that suffers from frequent yeast infections

, you should eat one cup of live-culture yogurt daily. This will reduce your symptoms and chances of the infection recurring. Otherwise, avoid all dairy products until the infection clears. Also avoid sugar, fruit and simple carbohydrates.

As previously stated, all medical problems should be attended to by a professional, but incorporating even some of these nutritional principles will aid in your healing.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Looking for heart healthy diet guidelines?

2008-11-02T03:03:00.000-08:00

Through corrective dietary action, it is possible to achieve and maintain a healthy heart with the aid of nutrition.

It is the primary organ in our bodies, and although the body works as a complete system the heart is the one organ which, if it ceases to function, all others will too. A healthier heart can be achieved, no matter what shape we are currently in. There are nutritional guidelines that can help one attain a healthier heart as well as keep it that way for a very long time.

The main culprit when it comes to heart trouble or heart disease is high cholesterol. A diet that is consistently high in saturated fats raises cholesterol levels in the blood. Eventually this excess cholesterol forms plaque deposits on artery walls, which eventually chokes off the blood supply to the heart. Lack of oxygen-rich blood to the heart leads to damaged muscle tissue and even full heart attacks.

So the first obvious change to make when working toward a healthy heart is to cut the cholesterol, especially that found in meats and dairy foods. Another way to cut cholesterol is to cut saturated fat consumption, as the body converts saturated fat into cholesterol. Instead of whole milk, have skim milk. Instead of cooking with butter or shortening, try olive or vegetable oils. Instead of fried foods, have baked or steamed. Reducing all fat intake reduces saturated fats automatically. Fats should not comprise more than 10% of your daily calories.

Another way to cut out excess fats is to switch to lean meats. If you wish to continue to eat beef, choose only the leanest grade. Other wise choices are fish and chicken and turkey without the skin. When eating poultry, try to stick with the white meat as the dark has a much higher concentration of fat.

Sugar should also be restricted in the diet, as excess sugar in the bloodstream is converted and stored as fat. Fried foods should also be eliminated, as should coffee, black tea, colas (even diet) and any other stimulants in the diet.

Achieving and maintaining a healthy heart through nutrition is not only about giving up certain foods, but it is also about adding other wise choices.

Try adding garlic to your daily menus. Raw is preferred, but even baked cloves can be beneficial and make a great tasting side dish. If you find the cloves too much to swallow, try supplementing with capsules. Studies show that garlic can reduce artery clogging cholesterol and keep clots from forming.

Increasing your fiber intake is also essential for a healthy heart. Scientists believe that as fiber moves through your system it bonds to bile acid (which is a fluid that contains cholesterol) and carries it out of the body. Once it is excreted, the liver takes cholesterol out of the blood stream to make more bile acid. Excellent sources of fiber are oat bran, beans, apples, grapefruit, berries, whole grains and raw or steamed vegetables, and raw nuts (except peanuts).

Adding raw nuts to your diet not only adds fiber, but they also contain essential fatty acids that are needed for good health. Almonds are some of the most highly recommended nuts to add to your intake.

Spices such as cayenne, ginger and gingko biloba also help strengthen the heart.

Beverages should include green teas, "fresh" vegetable juices and steam-distilled water.

A daily supplement should be added to the diet to ensure you are getting necessary amounts of vitamins and antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E and beta-carotene, as these have all been found to lower the risk of heart disease and heart attacks.

Although dietary changes can greatly improve your health and decrease your chances of heart trouble, it is important to see your doctor regularly if you feel you may be at risk for hich cholesterol, heart disease or heart attack. Also, nutrition is only one part of the healthy heart equation. It should be combined with other factors such as exercise, smoking cessation and stress reduction.

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Reverse Diet Solution - How nutrition changes with age

2008-11-02T02:54:00.000-08:00

The effects that age and nutrition has on the body. It contains helpful information on how to get your body prepared for the changes as you grow older.

Always check with your doctor before taking any additional supplements.

If you remember, when you were a child, your parents saying, eat this or eat that because it is good for you and it will help you grow up to be strong. Well, they were right, your diet when you are young has a lot to do with your health as an adult. Many of the degenerative changes that happen as we get older can be eliminated or at least delayed by a proper diet when we are in our youth.

As a person gets older especially into the elderly years their appetite declines with age, so when you are older you do not get the proper nutrition that is needed to subdue infections and ward off diseases. In most cases an unhealthy diet is the cause of the infections and or disease when you become older. A person that has eaten fatty foods all their life are at extremely high risks of heart disease, heart failure such as strokes and heart attacks. A person that has consumed a high amount of alcohol through their life is at high risk of liver, pancreas, and kidney malfunctions, not to mention cancer.

It is best to begin in your youth by eating healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits and of course meats. There have been studies about the Mormons who stay on a vegetable and meat menu and avoid indulgence in harmful drinks and smoking, they are known to live a longer life, but a healthier longer life.

As the body ages it does not need as much as it does when it is younger. The body’s metabolismvitamins and minerals that an older body needs that the younger body can use less of. The minerals and vitamins such as Calcium, an older body needs more to prevent osteoporosis and to keep the bones healthy, vitamin D is needed to help absorb the calcium. Zinc is needed to combat against infections, because with age the body’s immune system also degenerates. Fiber is important because the stomach muscles weaken with age and fiber helps prevent constipation. slows down and the body does not need as many calories to function. But there are certain.

The older the person gets the more the diet needs to change to provide for the body’s needs. There are basic guidelines for the nutrition of an elderly person. An older person should try to eat at least six servings of starches per day, such as whole grains; bread, dried beans; potatoes and pasta are all good sources. The body also needs at least six servings of fruits and vegetables, such as fresh fruits, broccoli, cabbage, and berries all are good sources of vitamin C and A, these are needed to promote the immune system to avoid deadly infections. High protein foods should be eating at least at two servings; lean beef, chicken and eggs are suggested. Dairy products are definitely needed to help the bones retain their stability.

Also, remember exercise is important part of staying healthy. If you suffer from appetite loss, the exercise is good for stimulating the appetite also.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Low-fat eating in restaurants

2008-11-02T02:50:00.000-08:00

Low-fat dining in restaurants is very possible if you know what to watch out for.

Restaurants can be real land mines as far as sticking to your low-fat diet goes. Even if you aren’t on a diet, if you eat out often enough, and make the wrong choices, you will soon find yourself in need of one. Try the following tips to make your next meal out a healthy one.

1. Choose meats that are grilled, as opposed to fried or sautéed. Grilled fish, such as salmon or tilapia, is a good choice that is high in protein and all-around healthy.

2. Choose a side of vegetables, when they are offered, as opposed to a baked potato or French fries.

3. Order a salad and put your own dressing on it. If you know that you are going out to eat, take a container with you that has your own low-fat dressing in it. Eating a salad with full-fat dressing rarely saves anyone any calories, and if it consists primarily of iceberg lettuce, it is not even very healthy.

4. If you order a steak, order sirloin or tenderloin. Stay away from the high fat prime rib! Also, a serving size of meat is considered to be three ounces. Regardless of where you are eating, when you place your order, ask for a take-out box at the same time. That way, when your meal is brought to you, you can immediately cut your eight-ounce steak (or huge serving of whatever) in half and prepare to take it home. If you have ordered vegetables as a side dish, and are taking it easy on the breadbasket, you have ordered a healthy meal at that point.

5. When eating at a Mexican restaurant, try to stick to chicken or bean dishes. If you order beans, order whole ones, as opposed to the refried variety. Chicken Monterrey, with its colorful vegetable topping, is a great choice if you ask the waiter to hold the cheese. If possible, sit far away from the chip basket. The salsa accompanying the chips is healthy, however, and is great for jazzing up a bland burrito.

6. If you are really craving a high-fat meal, try ordering a smaller version of it as an appetizer. This way, you may still be eating the fat, but you are eating much less of it. Often, appetizers offer a more reasonable portion of food anyway. Of course, eating eight sticks of fried cheese is not a low-fat choice!

7. Don’t hesitate to ask the waiter if the meal can be prepared with less fat. Often, the cook will be happy to accommodate such a request. This works especially well in Chinese restaurants when you have ordered a stir-fried dish. Often, the cook can simply substitute more broth for the oil when preparing the dish. Never order sweet and sour anything in a Chinese restaurant. What this really means is fried food. Stay away!

8. Do not eat any pasta with “Alfredo” in the name. Whoever this person was, he must have loved high fat foods! Alfredo sauce is cream-based, and often has cheese added as well. Instead, if you are ordering a pasta dish, choose one with a tomato-based sauce. Alfredo gets sneaky here, by offering a sun-dried tomato sauce in many instances. It is still fattening. Stay far away from Alfredo!

9. Eat a bowl of soup. Usually restaurants have several to choose from. When you order, make sure to choose a soup such as minestrone or vegetable, and avoid all soups that feature cream or cheese as primary ingredients. A popular soup in many Mexican restaurants is chicken tortilla soup. This can be a good one to order if you request it without cheese, and ask them to go easy on the fried tortillas.

10. If you can’t resist the dessert menu, order one dessert and share it with the entire table. Ask the waiter to bring six forks, or whatever the case may be. This practice is becoming increasingly common, especially since restaurant desserts have reached gargantuan proportions! If there are not six people at the table, promise yourself that you will only have three bites. Even if you ate nothing else besides the dessert, you would add over a thousand fat-laden calories to your day’s intake in most cases.

Eating out does not need to be an exercise in deprivation. If you are the person who will be choosing the restaurant, try choosing a Japanese restaurant that offers sushi or low-fat teriyaki dishes. Almost everything on the menu will be low fat, except for the tempura. There is a reason why the Japanese don’t have the same weight problems as Americans, and you can see why when you glance at a Japanese restaurant’s menu. Vietnamese restaurants also offer primarily low-fat options. Taking yourself out of the mainstream can save you many calories as well as provide an enjoyable dining experience. Meanwhile, at other restaurants, take comfort in knowing that you will get two meals for the price of one since you have asked for a to go container at the outset of the meal. Make sure to refrigerate the leftovers when you get home, or better yet, actually give the leftovers to the dog, in remembrance of the doggy bags of old. Your dog will thank you, and so will your scale.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Healthy eating menu ideas

2008-11-02T02:43:00.000-08:00

Simple guidelines and menus for eating an all-natural healthy diet.

What comprises a healthy diet? Well, the most important thing the body needs is carbohydrates. But these carbohydrates should primarily come from vegetables and fruit. A smaller portion should come from whole grains such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, and cereals such as bran and granola. Next is protein which can include meats, eggs, soy or tofu products, beans, and nuts. Alongside proteins are your calcium and dairy sources such as cheese, milk, and yogurt. Finally, your body needs a small amount of healthy fats such as olive oil, omega-3 and omega 6 oils.

A healthy diet is made up of natural products; foods that haven’t undergone any refining or processing such as white sugar, white flour, pastries, fast food, processed snacks, almost anything in a package. Of course it would be hard to avoid any food that comes in a package or can, but we can make great strides in that direction. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the most important staple of a healthy diet. And the best fruits and vegetables are those grown locally in your area, organically, and in season. That said – frozen vegetables are the more nutritious option over canned products. And how you prepare your vegetables also attributes to their nutrient value. Foods lose vitamins and nutrients when exposed to heat; so eat as many raw fruits and vegetables as possible and steam them if some cooking is desired.

Vegetarian, vegan, and macrobiotic diets are all very healthy, but you must be careful to find protein and calcium source from soy, beans, and nuts. It is also very easy for a vegetarian to rely too heavily on simple carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes.

If you are aiming to lose weight you will want to avoid the simple carbohydrates found in sweetened drinks, potatoes, bread, pasta, and rice for awhile, perhaps for two weeks. This should cut down on your cravings and give you a kick-start to losing weight. And when you do reintroduce these items make sure they are in their most natural or whole grain state. Try tea instead of soda or coffee. Try cutting our caffeine all together. When you crave something sweet, go for fruits and yogurt. Here are some sample meals to help you get started on that healthy lifestyle:

BREAKFAST

Raisin bran, mueslix, or granola with soy milk and fresh fruit or juice

Whole wheat toast, bagel or rice cake with peanut butter

Egg white omelet with ham and vegetables

LUNCH

Salad with lime and olive oil dressing

Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with veggie crisps

Raw veggies with hummus and pita bread

Vegetable soup

Veggie sandwich on whole wheat bagel with cream cheese

SNACKS

Celery, apples, and carrots with peanut butter

Nuts such as peanuts, brazil nuts, macadamia, cashews, pecans, and walnuts

Cheese

Yogurt

DINNER

Curried vegetable stir-fry with brown rice

Baked or grilled fish with asparagus and brown rice

15-bean chili and cornbread

Salad with grilled chicken

Black beans and brown rice with spinach

Grilled chicken with steamed vegetables

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Reverse Diet Solution - Natural food diet equals health

2008-11-02T02:39:00.000-08:00

Stop focusing on which foods you shouldn't eat and start choosing healthy natural foods.

Are you ready to get healthy? Are you ready to stop attempting fad diets and make a real lifestyle change? Well, you don’t need a $20 book or a club membership. All you need is to brush up on your nutrition facts and ask yourself one question when choosing food: Is this natural and healthy? Your body is a living thing – feed it fresh, natural, and living foods.

Instead of focusing on all the things you shouldn’t eat, try focusing on the things that are good for you. These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, all-natural meats and dairy products, beans, nuts, and soy. You may have heard the suggestion that the healthiest food options are located around the perimeters of your local grocery store – and this is true. Try to avoid the processed and prepared food aisles and shop the produce section, meat counter, dairy sections, and bakery for fresh whole-wheat breads. Of course there will be a few things you'll need to hit the aisles for such as tea, honey, flour, nuts, and beans.

It’s really not difficult to eat a healthy diet that will keep you slim and energetic. Just don’t put unnatural and processed foods into your body. It will thank you immensely. And natural foods taste so much better. And make you feel so much better. You may have to learn a few new cooking techniques, but the good thing about eating healthy is that less cooking is better. Foods retain the highest amount of nutrients in their raw, uncooked state. You may want to steam your vegetables and learn to use spices and peppers, garlic, and onion to enhance your food.

There’s no reason you can’t eat lean white meats as part of a healthy diet, although many will argue that a vegetarian or vegan diet is the absolute healthiest. Just be sure to replace your protein sources with beans, nuts, and soy. The majority of your diet should be vegetables, followed by fruits, and then whole grains. In the next tier comes protein from meat, soy, beans, and nuts. The smallest portion should come from fats. A truly healthy diet does not include any refined sugar products. White flour and sugar are the most processed foods in our culture. But luckily, the trend is turning towards natural processes. You can’t go wrong though by eating food in their most natural state. Here’s a list of foods to help you out with your new, healthy lifestyle:

FRUIT

apples

seasonal fruit

strawberries

plums

peaches

blackberries

limes

SALAD

green lettuce

spinach

cucumbers

tomatoes

onion

VEGETABLES

carrots

celery

onion

garlic

red pepper

broccoli

cauliflower

squash

snow peas

green beans

asparagus

potatoes

mushrooms

eggplant

zucchini

kale

alfalfa sprouts

avocado

GRAINS

rice cakes

granola or mueslix

brown rice

whole wheat pasta

whole wheat crackers

whole wheat pita bread

whole wheat tortillas

whole wheat pizza dough

whole wheat english muffins or bagels

couscous

MEATS

turkey

shrimp

grilled chicken breast

PROTEINS

eggs

cheese – swiss, white cheddar, mozzarella

nuts – peanuts, walnuts, cashew, brazil, macadamia

peanut butter

hummus

edamame – steamed soy beans

beans

black beans

SEASONINGS

basil

dill

red pepper flakes

sea salt

black pepper

OTHER

tea – green & black

honey

yogurt

rotel tomatoes

soup

olive oil

salsa

tomato/basil sauce

pesto

red wine – spanish/shiraz/merlot

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Reverse Diet Solution - How to provide wholesome, healthy and nutritious meals

2008-11-02T02:34:00.000-08:00

Plan nutritious, balanced meals to keep your family healthy by following a few basic strategies like the ones that follow.

Everyone is in a hurry today, so much so that we often neglect eating in a healthy way. Instead, we might grab a cup of coffee for breakfast, run out for fast food at lunch, and order a pizza for supper. While it is all right to have foods like these occasionally, we should make every effort to eat nutritiously most of the time. Good nutrition keeps our bodies functioning properly, prevents certain illnesses, and delays the aging process.

As you plan ways of providing nourishing meals for your family, here are a few tips that might come in handy:

1. Follow the food pyramid. National nutrition standards have long been based on a pyramid structure of recommended food groups. Grains formed the base of the pyramid, with six to twelve servings per day for the average person. A serving is about half a cup. The next food group included fruits and vegetables, followed by proteins. Dairy products and fats completed the decreasing percentages of the food pyramid. All of us should try to balance daily menus from a structure like this one.

2. Check in with national disease associations. The American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association are recognized as promoting a health-conscious nutrition plan that can help followers shed extra pounds and eat healthy foods and portion sizes. You need not have been diagnosed with either disease to benefit from such diet plans. In fact, their recommendations will help adherents avoid the conditions represented by these organizations.

3. Mix colors, textures, and styles in your menus. Termed "presentation" by food and restaurant critics, the idea is to make healthy food look appealing. Use a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins. For example, include juicy red tomatoes, bright orange carrots, deep purple plums, and dark green spinach among the selection of nutritious items that you serve. Instead of centering a meal on meat, use protein as a side dish and make it beans rather than beef.

4. Browse new recipes. Pick up a cookbook at the bookstore or surf the Web for interesting takes on old favorites. Reduced fat and low calorie variations are plentiful. Subscribe to a variety of weight, diet, or food sites for free daily or weekly newsletters that can enrich your cooking skills as evidenced in your entrees. Or type in a few ingredients that you have on hand for a search and see which recipes turn up.

5. Swap meals with a neighbor. If you know someone who struggles with similar concerns, such as healthy meals for family members on a time or money budget, see if you can work out a plan to trade meals occasionally. It's often fun to eat other people's cooking, but find out first what each other's families like or don't like so your surprise will not be unwelcome. You might try this with a few different families to increase the variety of selections.

Cooking nutritiously need not be boring or difficult. Mix a little creativity with a taste of adventure, and you're sure to come up with some new family favorites.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Eating the right foods: what's your nutritional status?

2008-11-02T02:27:00.000-08:00

This article gives an overview of the proper nutritional diet for daily needs and to prevent obesity and eating disorders, and how to spot good and bad food in your diet.

With all the new fad diets out there today, it is hard to determine how to get proper nutrition without compromising yourself. Believe it or not, living by the food pyramid of four basic food groups is a sound way to develop a nutritional diet. The important part is keeping the portions within reasonable limits and the calories at a satisfactory number to sustain you working as a human being.

The most important food group, because it is where most of our energy (aka calories) come from, is the bread and grains group. It is recommended that six to eight servings from this group is eaten daily. More servings are for those who expend a large amount of energy, such as athletes, those who work out, growing children, and people with laborious occupations. Breads and grains contain many carbohydrates, which are made of good sugars that can be stored as energy. They also contain a large amount of fiber, important for digestion and metabolism. Some good sugars in this group include potatoes, rice, bread, muffins, crackers, oatmeal, cereal, pasta, etc. For food richer in vitamins and minerals, chose fortified grains and cereals, especially those containing natural wheat (not processed wheat). While good for energy storage, overloading on breads and grains, especially those containing non-nutritious sugars (such as doughnuts), can lead it an increase in feeling bloated and an increase in weight-gain. Newer "no-carb" diet fads eliminate this critical part of the food pyramid, which can lead to an overwhelming increase in fatigue, irritability, and muscle weakness. It is important to digest the recommended dose to breads and grains to maintain daily energy. To counteract possible weight gain, one should engage in more exercise to expend calories and increase total body fitness.

The fruit and vegetable category is most important with providing daily vitamins and minerals needed for growth and bodily function. Many of these substances need to be replaced daily or the body will experience deficiency symptoms, which can range anywhere from nausea and vomiting to fatigue and muscle weakness. Therefore it is recommended that four to six servings of fruits and vegetables should be consumed daily. Carrots are important sense of vision, fruits are important for regularity, and leafy greens contain many anti-oxidants, playing an important role in immune function. Very rarely to fruits and vegetables cause weight gain, so going a little overboard in this group is not really a bad thing!

The meat group includes protein containing foods such as fish, ground beef, chicken, pork, eggs, nuts, beans, and legumes. Just two to three daily servings of this group can provide the daily requirement without an overload of the fatty tissue that is often in meat. Protein is an important factor in muscle growth, and meats also contain a large amount of iron, which is vital to carry oxygen to body tissues. Deficiency of iron, often seen in women and vegetarians, leads to anemia, which can lead to an increase in fatigue and muscle weakness. In addition, fish contains a large amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important in women's health. Finally, nuts and beans also contain fiber, important in regularity. Red meat servings should not be overdone due to its high fat content. Whenever possible, lean meat should be consumed to prevent an increase in fatty plaque formation. In addition, meat should be grilled and not fried, to eliminate further fatty additives.

Finally, the dairy group demands two to four servings a day, with more servings for children and women. Milk, cheese, and yogurt are vital for bone growth and maintenance. However, the dairy group also adds fat and cholesterol, which, if over served, can lead to weight gain and the potential for plaque formation in the arteries. Therefore it is important to pick low-fat items in the dairy group, such as reduced-fat cheese and two percent or skim milk. It should be noted that anyone who eliminates dairy from their diet can be at risk for developing osteoporosis later in life, increasing the chance for fractures.

Sometimes the food pyramid includes a fifth group of fat and simple sugars, allowing one to two servings daily. However, if one follows the previous guideline of meat, dairy, grains, and fruits and vegetables, additional intact of fats is not necessary. The body does require some daily fat intact for the cells to work, but a proper diet should give an adequate amount of fat without need for extra servings.

Fad diets should be carefully analyzed with your physician before tried. Most people who are overweight can lose extra pounds by lowering their calorie intake and increasing their exercise (or energy expenditure). Diets that suggest eliminating a particular food group can be hazardous, as each food group has an important contribution in nutrition. By following the simple food pyramid, and limiting calorie intake to 2000-2500 a day, your nutrition will be balanced without weight gain.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Food and nutrition: the benefits of eating seasonal & locally grown produce

2008-11-02T02:20:00.000-08:00

Get the maximum health and nutritional benefit from the fruits and vegetables you eat by choosing produce at peak ripeness, locally grown and freshly harvested.

Today's food shopper has choices our ancestors never dreamed of. Any time of the year, they can go to the grocery store and buy produce that was once available for only a few months or weeks of the year. Have strawberries in November, corn on the cob in February! Given these options, why would one want to eat like our ancestors did, eating produce in season, grown within a short drive from their homes?

Because it's better for you, and it tastes better too.

Produce is at its peak nutritional value when it is ripe. But fruits and vegetables that will be traveling long distances to market aren't picked when they are ripe, but before ripeness. While the produce might gain color and softness on its journey to the supermarket, nutritional value comes through the stem from the living plant. Once harvested, a vegetable is as nutritious as its going to get. And in a double whammy, nutritional value actually decreases every day past harvest.

Nor is nutritional value on the top of the agenda for large commercial vegetable farmers. In the days when all produce was local, horticulturists developing new strains of fruits and vegetables only had to consider several criteria: taste and nutritional value. But today, with much of the growing and harvesting handled by machines and with produce shipped around the world, several other criteria take priority, and taste and nutrition take a back seat. Sturdiness and shippability are one factor, and uniformity of size is another. Another key factor big producers take into account is grocery case eye appeal.

While these new criteria are important to the grower's profits, they add nothing to the health of the consumer. If anything, they detract from it. Sturdy produce that stands up to lengthy shipping will be shipped long distances, taking days on its journey to your table, and losing nutritional value with every day that passes between harvest and eating.

So for your health's sake, take a step back in time when you're shopping for produce. Find your local vegetable stand, preferably one on the road right in front of the farm where the fruits and vegetables are grown, selling what was picked that day. Eat produce that was intended to be grown in the area where you live, and buy it at its peak of ripeness, rather than produce that was picked unripe and shipped thousands of miles.

If you live in the city, finding the farm stand might take some doing, and getting there will require some driving. But what better excursion that a relaxing drive in the country to buy freshly picked vegetables? So urban that you don't even own a car? Then look for your local health food store; most of them will have a fresh produce section, and their staff will be glad to tell you where the produce comes from and what days it's delivered.

You might even want to add some healthy outdoor exercise into the mix and grow your own! But if you lack the yard space, time, or inclination, by all means, support your community fruit and vegetable growers by buying your produce ripe, locally grown, and freshly harvested.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Health tips: different types of vegetarian diets

2008-11-02T02:06:00.000-08:00

The types of vegetarian diets are as diverse as the reasons to embrace this lifestyle. This overview explains how and why individuals go veggie or vegan and explains the benefits.

Many teens and adults have made the lifestyle choice to become vegetarians. The following overview of the rationale behind these food preferences and the impact such a diet can have on health and longevity will not only assist you in making an informed choice for yourself but also in respecting the alternative dining habits of family members and friends.

The blanket term “vegetarian” actually embraces a variety of approaches to food. Although we normally think of it as the avoidance of anything containing meat, there are a lot of people who use this label simply to declare that they don’t eat red meat. Shellfish, chicken, and pork still make regular appearances on their plates and are touted as doing far less damage to arteries and cholesterol levels than a thick New York steak or a hamburger. These people are better named semi-vegetarians since they have not completely eliminated meats from their daily meals.

At the opposite end of the vegetarian spectrum are “Vegans" who radically disavow any foods that are not derived from natural plant sources and grains. Vegans even go so far as to boycott dishes that contain broth derived from chicken stock on the argument that it originally came from a chicken.

The grouping in-between is comprised of lacto-vegetarians, ovo-vegetarians, and lacto-ovo vegetarians. Lacto-vegetarians are accepting of dairy products in their meals but will not eat any meat or eggs. Ovo-vegetarians do eat eggs, while the lacto-ovo combination will plan their menus around a combination of both dairy and egg products.

The choice to change one’s eating habits falls into multiple categories as well.

The first is one based on a desire to lead a healthier life predicated on the consumption of more vegetables, fruit and whole grains. The medical evidence supporting the findings that such foods are low in fat, rich in fiber and less harmful to cardiovascular and colon health also go hand in hand with the desire to reach and maintain one’s ideal weight. This dietary change can either be initiated by the individual or upon the recommendation of a family physician.

People also become vegetarians as a consequence of economics. By cutting down on the purchase of meat, the savings reflected in their grocery bills allow them to put the money to other uses that they have deemed to be more important. They may or may not return to their prior purchasing and eating habits after the financial goal is reached, depending on how long this new lifestyle is in effect and how well their bodies have adjusted to the change in intake.

Social causes play a big part in switching to a meatless diet, especially as they relate to one’s sensitivity to environmental issues, dwindling resources and perceptions about cruelty to farm-bred animals. This is one of the most common reasons that teens and tweens suddenly declare to the rest of the family that they don’t want to eat meat anymore. This is coupled with the peer pressure to do exactly what all of their friends are doing and/or to exert their independence in a defiant and yet relatively harmless manner. While it may just be a phase that will pass as quickly as it came, parents need to make sure that their offspring are getting the right amount of vitamins, nutrients and minerals while their bodies are still growing and developing. There is not only a lot of literature available on the market and the Internet that parents and their kids can read about together but valuable recommendations as well from your family doctor on how to maximize the benefits of the remaining food groups that a child will be choosing from.

Religion beliefs play a part in the vegetarian lifestyle, too, particularly as it relates to cultural mores, respect for all living creatures, and the desire to lead as spiritual an existence as possible. Because these values are generally passed down from generation to generation, the most critical time occurs in the infant and toddler stages where nutritional deficiencies are the most likely to occur. Since the quantity of fruits, grains and vegetables needed to maintain adequate nutrition vitamin supplements may be required. can be too bulky for tiny stomachs to process.

It also goes without saying that anyone contemplating switching to an all vegetarian diet should first consult a physician and be apprised of the proper food sources that will address the human body’s need for Vitamin B-12, calcium, Vitamin D, high protein, and minerals such as zinc and iron. Prospective vegetarians will want to pay a visit as well to the cookbook section of their local bookstore where healthy and creative recipes can be found which will make each meal a celebration of life as opposed to a so-so substitute for what everyone else is eating.

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2008-11-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

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Reverse Diet Solution - Appropriate Treatment Goals for Using Prescription Weight Loss Medications

2008-11-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

If you and your doctor believe that the use of weight-loss medications may help you, discussing the goals of treatment is important. Improving your health and reducing your risk for disease should be the primary goals. For most severely obese people, achieving an "ideal body weight" is both unrealistic and unnecessary to improve their health and reduce their risk for disease. Most patients should not expect to reach an ideal body weight using the currently available medications. Even a modest weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of your starting body weight can improve your health and reduce your risk factors for disease. Use of weight-loss medications for cosmetic purposes is not appropriate.

Weight-loss medications should be used with a program of behavioral treatment and nutritional counseling designed to help you make long-term changes in your diet and physical activity. You should see your physician regularly so that he or she can monitor how you are responding to the medication, not only in terms of weight loss, but how it affects your overall health. Again, if you experience any serious symptoms, such as chest pains or shortness of breath, contact your doctor immediately.

Long-term use of prescription weight-loss medications may be helpful for carefully selected individuals, but little information is available on the safety and effectiveness of these medications when used for more than 2 years. By evaluating your risk of experiencing obesity-related health problems, you and your physician can make an informed choice as to whether medication can be a useful part of your weight-management program.

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Reverse Diet Solution - What to Discuss with Your Doctor Before Choosing Weight Loss Medication

2008-11-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

Before choosing weight-loss medication for the long-term management of obesity, you should talk to your doctor about any concerns you may have. In addition, it is important that you discuss the following issues with your doctor.

How will I be evaluated to determine if I am an appropriate candidate for weight-loss medication?

Your physician will look at a number of factors to determine if you are a good candidate for prescription weight-loss medication. He or she will determine how overweight you are and where your body fat is distributed (see WIN's fact sheet Understanding Adult Obesity for further information). Your doctor may do the following:

Take a careful medical history and perform a physical examination.
Look at your personal weight history.
Ask whether you have relatives with illnesses related to overweight, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus or heart disease.
Discuss the methods you have used to lose weight in the past.
Evaluate your risk for obesity-related health problems by measuring your blood pressure and doing blood tests.

If your doctor determines that you have obesity-related health problems or are at high risk for such problems, and if you have been unable to lose weight or maintain weight loss with nondrug treatment, he or she may recommend that you use prescription weight-loss medications. Weight-loss medications may be appropriate for carefully selected patients who are at significant medical risk because of their obesity. They are not recommended for people who are only mildly overweight unless they have health problems that are made worse by their weight. These medications should not be used only to improve appearance.

What other medical conditions or medications might influence my decision to take a weight-loss medication?

It is important that you notify your physician if you have any of the following medical conditions:

Pregnancy or breast-feeding
History of drug or alcohol abuse
History of an eating disorder
History of depression or manic depressive disorder
Use of monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors or antidepressant medications
Migraine headaches requiring medication
Glaucoma
Diabetes
Heart disease or heart condition, such as an irregular heart beat
High blood pressure
Planning to have surgery that requires general anesthesia

What type of program will be provided along with the medication to help me improve my eating and physical activity habits?

Studies show that weight-loss medications work best when combined with a weight-management program that helps you improve your eating and physical activity habits. Ask your doctor any questions or concerns that you may have about good nutrition and physical activity.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Commonly Asked Questions About Weight-Loss Medications

2008-11-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

Q: Can medications replace physical activity or changes in eating habits as a way to lose weight?
A: No. The use of weight-loss medications to treat obesity should be combined with physical activity and improved diet to lose and maintain weight successfully over the long term.

Q: Will I regain some weight after I stop taking weight-loss medications?
A: Probably. Most studies show that the majority of patients who stop taking weight-loss medications regain the weight they had lost. Maintaining healthy eating and physical activity habits will increase your likelihood of keeping weight off.

Q: How long will I need to take weight-loss medications to treat obesity?
A: The answer depends upon whether the medication helps you to lose and maintain weight and whether you have any side effects. Because obesity is a chronic disease, any treatment, whether drug or nondrug, may need to be continued for years, and perhaps a lifetime, to improve health and maintain a healthy weight. There is little information on how safe and effective weight-loss medications are for many years of use.

Q: What dosage of weight-loss medication would be right for me?
A: There is no one correct dose for weight loss medications. Your doctor will decide what works best for you based on his or her evaluation of your medical condition and response to treatment.

Q: I only need to lose 10 pounds. Are weight-loss medications appropriate for me?
A: Weight-loss medications may be appropriate for carefully selected patients who are at significant medical risk because of their obesity. They are not recommended for use by people who are only mildly overweight unless they have health problems that are made worse by their weight. These medications should not be used only to improve appearance.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Potential Risks and Concerns When Considering Medication

2008-11-01T06:17:00.001-07:00

When considering long-term weight-loss medication treatment for obesity, you should consider the following areas of concern and potential risks.

Potential for Abuse or Dependence
Currently, all prescription medications to treat obesity except orlistat are controlled substances, meaning doctors need to follow certain restrictions when prescribing many weight-loss medications. Although abuse and dependence are not common with non-amphetamine appetite-suppressant medications, doctors should be cautious when they prescribe these medications for patients with a history of alcohol or other drug abuse.

Development of Tolerance
Most studies of weight-loss medications show that a patient's weight tends to level off after 4 to 6 months while still on medication. While some patients and physicians may be concerned that this shows tolerance to the medications, the leveling off may mean that the medication has reached its limit of effectiveness. Based on the currently available studies, it is not clear if weight gain with continuing treatment is due to drug tolerance.

Reluctance to View Obesity as a Chronic Disease
Obesity often is viewed as the result of a lack of willpower, weakness, or a lifestyle "choice"--the choice to overeat and underexercise. The belief that persons choose to be obese adds to the hesitation of health professionals and patients to accept the use of long-term appetite-suppressant medication treatment to manage obesity. Obesity, however, is more appropriately considered a chronic disease than a lifestyle choice. Other chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, are managed by long-term drug treatment, even though these diseases also improve with changes in lifestyle, such as diet and exercise. Although this issue may concern physicians and patients, social views on obesity should not prevent patients from seeking medical treatment to prevent health risks that can cause serious illness and death. Appetite-suppressant medications are not "magic bullets" or a one-shot fix. They cannot take the place of improving one's diet and becoming more physically active. The major role of medications appears to be to help a person stay on a diet and exercise plan to lose weight and keep it off.

Side Effects
Because weight-loss medications are used to treat a condition that affects millions of people, many of whom are basically healthy, their potential for side effects is of great concern. Most side effects of these medications are mild and usually improve with continued treatment. Rarely, serious and even fatal outcomes have been reported. Two approved appetite-suppressant medications that affect serotonin release and reuptake have been withdrawn from the market (fenfluramine, dexfenfluramine). Medications that affect catecholamine levels (such as phentermine, diethylpropion, and mazindol) may cause symptoms of sleeplessness, nervousness, and euphoria (feeling of well-being).

Sibutramine acts on both the serotonin and catecholamine systems, but unlike fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine, sibutramine does not cause release of serotonin from cells. The primary known side effects of concern with sibutramine are elevations in blood pressure and pulse, which are usually small but may be significant in some patients. People with poorly controlled high blood pressure, heart disease, irregular heart beat, or history of stroke should not take sibutramine, and all patients taking the medication should have their blood pressure monitored on a regular basis.

Some side effects with orlistat include oily spotting, gas with discharge, urgent need to go to the bathroom, oily or fatty stools, an oily discharge, increased number of bowel movements, and inability to control bowel movements. These side effects are generally mild and temporary, but may be worsened by eating foods that are high in fat. Also, because orlistat reduces the absorption of some vitamins, patients should take a multivitamin at least 2 hours before or after taking orlistat.

Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is a rare but potentially fatal disorder that affects the blood vessels in the lungs and results in death within 4 years in 45 percent of its victims. It should be noted that the vast majority of cases of PPH have occurred in patients who were taking fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine, either alone or in combination. There have been only a few case reports of PPH in patients taking phentermine alone, although the possibility that phentermine alone may be associated with PPH cannot be ruled out. No cases of PPH have been reported with sibutramine, but because of the low incidence of this disease in the underlying population, it is not known whether or not sibutramine may cause this disease.

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Potential Risks and Concerns When Considering Medication

2008-11-01T06:17:00.000-07:00

When considering long-term weight-loss medication treatment for obesity, you should consider the following areas of concern and potential risks.

Potential for Abuse or Dependence
Currently, all prescription medications to treat obesity except orlistat are controlled substances, meaning doctors need to follow certain restrictions when prescribing many weight-loss medications. Although abuse and dependence are not common with non-amphetamine appetite-suppressant medications, doctors should be cautious when they prescribe these medications for patients with a history of alcohol or other drug abuse.

Development of Tolerance
Most studies of weight-loss medications show that a patient's weight tends to level off after 4 to 6 months while still on medication. While some patients and physicians may be concerned that this shows tolerance to the medications, the leveling off may mean that the medication has reached its limit of effectiveness. Based on the currently available studies, it is not clear if weight gain with continuing treatment is due to drug tolerance.

Reluctance to View Obesity as a Chronic Disease
Obesity often is viewed as the result of a lack of willpower, weakness, or a lifestyle "choice"--the choice to overeat and underexercise. The belief that persons choose to be obese adds to the hesitation of health professionals and patients to accept the use of long-term appetite-suppressant medication treatment to manage obesity. Obesity, however, is more appropriately considered a chronic disease than a lifestyle choice. Other chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, are managed by long-term drug treatment, even though these diseases also improve with changes in lifestyle, such as diet and exercise. Although this issue may concern physicians and patients, social views on obesity should not prevent patients from seeking medical treatment to prevent health risks that can cause serious illness and death. Appetite-suppressant medications are not "magic bullets" or a one-shot fix. They cannot take the place of improving one's diet and becoming more physically active. The major role of medications appears to be to help a person stay on a diet and exercise plan to lose weight and keep it off.

Side Effects
Because weight-loss medications are used to treat a condition that affects millions of people, many of whom are basically healthy, their potential for side effects is of great concern. Most side effects of these medications are mild and usually improve with continued treatment. Rarely, serious and even fatal outcomes have been reported. Two approved appetite-suppressant medications that affect serotonin release and reuptake have been withdrawn from the market (fenfluramine, dexfenfluramine). Medications that affect catecholamine levels (such as phentermine, diethylpropion, and mazindol) may cause symptoms of sleeplessness, nervousness, and euphoria (feeling of well-being).

Sibutramine acts on both the serotonin and catecholamine systems, but unlike fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine, sibutramine does not cause release of serotonin from cells. The primary known side effects of concern with sibutramine are elevations in blood pressure and pulse, which are usually small but may be significant in some patients. People with poorly controlled high blood pressure, heart disease, irregular heart beat, or history of stroke should not take sibutramine, and all patients taking the medication should have their blood pressure monitored on a regular basis.

Some side effects with orlistat include oily spotting, gas with discharge, urgent need to go to the bathroom, oily or fatty stools, an oily discharge, increased number of bowel movements, and inability to control bowel movements. These side effects are generally mild and temporary, but may be worsened by eating foods that are high in fat. Also, because orlistat reduces the absorption of some vitamins, patients should take a multivitamin at least 2 hours before or after taking orlistat.

Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is a rare but potentially fatal disorder that affects the blood vessels in the lungs and results in death within 4 years in 45 percent of its victims. It should be noted that the vast majority of cases of PPH have occurred in patients who were taking fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine, either alone or in combination. There have been only a few case reports of PPH in patients taking phentermine alone, although the possibility that phentermine alone may be associated with PPH cannot be ruled out. No cases of PPH have been reported with sibutramine, but because of the low incidence of this disease in the underlying population, it is not known whether or not sibutramine may cause this disease.

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Reverse Diet Solution - Potential Benefits of Medication Treatment

2008-11-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

Over the short term, weight loss in obese individuals may reduce a number of health risks. Studies looking at the effects of weight-loss medication treatment on obesity-related health risks have found that some agents lower blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and triglycerides (fats) and decrease insulin resistance (the body's inability to use blood sugar) over the short term. However, long-term studies are needed to determine if weight loss from weight-loss medications can improve health.

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