Want To Lose Weight? Stop Dieting Using the Wisdom of Chinese Medicine

At his time of year, patients often bring their concerns about losing weight into the treatment room. The word "diet" gives me hives just to think about it. And honestly, the inquiries as to whether acupuncture works for weight loss make me a little squirmy. Because they usually mean, "I had a friend who got 'ear staples' and lost 20 pounds in three weeks." I can't speak to the validity of such claims or promise these results. However, as with all other aspects of health, Chinese medicine does offer us hope and help.
In the broadest of brush strokes, Chinese medicine can be said to work by achieving inner balance. We always start the healing process by correcting what appears out of balance. Weight management is a dicey topic because the underlying issues can be very complex, ranging from emotional trauma to potential hormonal imbalances. Treatment begins with a complete differential diagnosis, which accounts for the uniqueness of each person. It isn't always as simple as just controlling appetite. Hence, my reticence in jumping on the one size fits all lose weight quick band wagon.
All that being said, we can glean some broadly applicable wisdom from Chinese medicine about achieving healthy weight. From this vantage point, we can also better understand why so many of our efforts fail.
Diet Is A Four Letter Word
Our main focus is usually going on the right "diet." Fad diets come and go, but what they have in common is food restriction. We've counted calories, shunned carbs, reduced fat, replaced sugar, eschewed meat, and gorged on grapefruits. Far from being effective long term strategies, we are actually gaining even more weight. What is clear about dieting is that it doesn't work.
Why don't diets work? Diets promote the idea that a temporary imbalance through food restriction will yield a permanent state of balance in weight management. That's just wrong on its face. This focus on an imbalanced restrictive diet requires us to exercise will power to control appetite. That's ill fated and here's why.
From a Chinese medical perspective, appetite is a function of the Stomach Qi complex. In a balanced state, the appetite drives us to consume what we need to be healthy. It is like any other physiological process that organically functions without mental effort. Just imagine if we had to think about making our hearts beat or digesting food. Indeed, we are only aware of these processes when something is wrong. Appetite, in its natural state, is just like that. It simply drives us to eat nourishing food when we have a true sense of hunger, and to stop when we've had enough.
When out of balance, the appetite no longer is appropriate. It can pull us into head games fraught with overpowering cravings and angst throughout the day. If our appetites are exhibiting these toddler-esque temper tantrums, it's a clear sign that all is not well in our kingdom of Stomach Qi. Oh, but what to do, what to do?
Stop Dieting and Lose Weight
The answer is to restore the Stomach Qi. This can be done through consuming a properly balanced nourishing diet. The best way to stay true to this principle is to avoid processed foods and cook "real whole food." In Chinese medicine, we feed ourselves three balanced meals a day at the traditional times for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We also recognize that cooked and warm food is better for the Stomach Qi than raw and cold. Most importantly, every effort should be made to make this healthy food taste good, so it satisfies the appetite.
The kicker is that this process of eating appropriately can never be done by using will power to over-restrict the diet. It defies the laws of nature, as perceived by the ancient Chinese. Your appetite will ultimately rebel against dietary fascism, as sure as gravity pulls an apple onto Newton's head. The natural appetite for good tasty nourishment must be satisfied or the whole scheme falls apart.
Now this doesn't mean that you can throw will power to the wind, follow an inappropriate appetite and expect to lose weight. There is a certain circular pattern of imbalance that can manifest. Imbalanced Stomach Qi appears as inappropriate appetite, which drives poor eating habits, further degrading the Stomach Qi and distorting the appetite. On and on that downward spiral goes.
Of course, acupuncture treatment is a way out of the self perpetuating cycle of imbalance. With balance restored, the body's deep wisdom takes over to run the appetite show without having to think it through so much. What I am suggesting is that lifestyle adjustments can also be used to help correct the imbalanced state. This requires us to make eating choices through the wise application of our will. We must feed, not deprive ourselves. The trick is to concentrate first on getting enough yummy healthy food (wisdom), as opposed to over focusing on what you shouldn't eat (will power). Ultimately, your Stomach Qi will actually prefer the taste of carrot soup over donuts. Sounds far fetched, I know. Trust me. It's true.

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8 Best Natural Ways You Can Use To Lose Weight

Losing weight has been very problematic for a lot of people in the sense that they have spent a lot of money on getting fitness machines as well as weight loss supplements. Also most of their time seems to be wasted. Many of these dieters thought that it would be very difficult to fight obesity. I want to let them know that it is not true but they need a lot of patience to achieve this. They should know that increase in body fat is a gradual process and to burn it will take some time to achieve. Therefore, the main purpose of this article is to tell you eight natural ways to lose weight within one month.
Don't miss your morning food: Make sure that you have your breakfast with high fiber foods or the meals that are low in fat. You should always let fruits and raisins to be part of your breakfast. As research has shown that eating this type of food in the morning prevents you from overeating.
Always add spice to your diet: Make sure that you add spice like horseradish, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne and mustard to your food. As any of these has been proven scientifically to increase body metabolism which helps in making you lose weight fast.
Drink lots of water: Let the drinking of eight glasses of water every day be part and parcel of your diet program. As this will aid your digestion rate and give you good hydration. With this, your food craving will be reduced to the minimum level.
Eat lots of seaweed: It has been proven that sluggish thyroid gland can make you gain weight. Therefore, to prevent your thyroid from this, make sure you eat seaweed which is very high in iodine to prevent your thyroid from being sluggish.
Take a cup of green tea after every meal: Green tea can help you to lose weight perfectly by converting your body fat to energy. This is because green tea contains caffeine and antioxidant.
Eat Nut and Seed: Always eat mega-3 fatty acids foods like fish, nuts, and seeds. As all these will give you more energy.
Have enough Sleep: Make sure you don't always deny yourself of good and deep sleep. That is, you should have at least 6 or 7 hours of deep sleep. As it has been proven that sleeping helps in converting body fat to energy.
Eat A Lot Of Dairy Foods: If you are looking forward to losing weight, make sure you eat dairy foods like yoghurt or milk in combination with calcium foods. As this can help you to relax.

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The Importance of Strength Training for Weight Loss

While daily cardio exercise is the core component of a weight loss exercise regime, many people don't realize that strength training is also essential if you're trying to lose weight. Though this type of training might not be a part of your daily workout, it's still a necessary part of your overall workout plans.

But why is strength training so important? Isn't it all about building muscle, rather than burning fat?
It's true that strength training doesn't burn as many calories as cardio, and helps build muscle instead of burning fat. However, many people don't realize that muscle does play an important role in weight loss. When a person has a higher muscle mass, his or her metabolism rate is raised, as muscle uses up more calories than fat in the body. So by raising the amount of muscle in your body, you will automatically be burning more calories, helping you lose weight at a faster rate.

Not only does a higher muscle mass help you lose weight, it will also help you maintain your weight loss better as you won't gain weight again as easily as when you consume more fat. That's not to say, however, that you can eat whatever you like - you'll still need to control your calorie intake if you're trying to lose weight!
 
Another benefit of this type of training for weight loss is that it helps tone your body to look better. Incorporating strength training into your regime can also help a little with the "loose skin" issue that some people face after losing a lot of weight, as muscle can replace some of the lost fat to fill in the skin.
One thing to take note of is that strength training isn't only suited for men; women should also engage in this type of training regularly to tone up and build some muscle. Contrary to popular belief, building muscle does not make you look bulky or masculine. Because of the different hormones, women will not usually build up their muscles in the same way as men, unless they take things to the next level and decide to make this a goal.

The bottom line is that strength training is a must-add to any serious exercise regime, as it provides additional benefits to cardio in aiding weight loss. For best results, do some strength training every alternate day, to allow your muscles to heal and repair themselves adequately before the next session.

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Have You Hit A Weight Loss Plateau?

Just about everyone who is trying to lose weight eventually hits a weight loss plateau during their fat loss journey. It's inevitable, and it can crush your spirit and make you want to give up when it happens. It doesn't matter which diet plan you chose either. You could be high carb, low carb, vegetarian, Mediterranean, etc. Any diet will do the same thing when your body is subjected to the same way of eating and exercising day after day after day.
The key element on how to lose weight effectively is to keep your body guessing over the weeks and months while you're working on your weight loss. You can't just go on a specific strict diet for 6 weeks and not expect to hit a weight loss plateau.
When Weight Loss Stops.
When you hit a weight loss plateau it means that your weight loss has stopped. It remains as it is, not moving up or down. You become frustrated because you may have been on this same diet plan for eight weeks and every week, regular as clockwork, you have shed two pounds.
Suddenly there's no drop. No gain, but no drop, either. The next week, you're holding steady - and it starts to get frustrating because you're working so hard. You're eating right. You're exercising, and there are no rewards in sight.
This is why you need to switch around your diet and your exercise routines so that you can lose weight naturally on an ongoing basis. A weight loss plateau can generally occur at any time. There's no set week it will happen, although if you watch TV shows like The Biggest Loser, the plateau often shows up in week two.
That's because when you go on extreme or fad diets that have the potential to do harm to your body, it shuts down and clings to whatever stores it has. It doesn't want to release the weight because it believes you've gone into starvation mode.
Overcoming The Weight Loss Plateau.
Sometimes you just have to hold steady and ride the plateau out because your body will adjust and become comfortable with your routine. But if it keeps going on and you're starting to worry, it means you have to do something to break out of it.
That might mean choosing a new program or shaving a few more calories off (if you're at a safe level), or even boosting your physical activity to burn more calories and up your metabolism.
Don't forget that if you have hit a plateau it means you've already lost some weight. Sometimes maintaining weight is harder than losing it. It may be worth concentrating on your new diet and exercise habits for a few weeks, or even months, before trying to lose more weight. When people try to change too many things too fast, it can sometimes be too much for them and they give up and go back to their old ways and bad habits.

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All You Need to Know About Fat Burning Foods

Obesity rates are at an all-time high. More than one third of all American adults are now obese or severely overweight. Even worse, the number of children who are overweight also make up more than one third. The consequences of this are too many to count. Diabetes, heart problems, joint problems, and constant fatigue, are some of the problems that can and does arise from carrying around too much fat. Because of this, people from all the way high up in the political office all the way down to teachers and parents are scrambling to figure out a way to solve this epidemic. There's no doubt that people just simply aren't moving their bodies enough. Combine that will all of the fast food and you got a recipe for disaster!

There are ways to solve this though. Maybe not on a national level, at least not for now, but on an individual level. People can change the way they live their life and they do so every day. There is an endless amount of different diets, fads, workout programs, and even fat loss pills that people try out every day. Some work and some don't. There is no doubt that there is a huge industry surrounding weight loss, and a lot of big players are making a lot of money off of people's ignorance. So it's not that surprising that there is a heck of a lot of scepticism surrounding weight loss and what works.

What's exciting is that there is a "new" way to lose weight that does work. Does it erase the need for exercise? No. Does it make it possible to lose weight while chugging down three Big Mac's? No. But it does make the process of losing weight a whole lot quicker and simpler. To make matters even better, it doesn't really require much of a lifestyle change. What we're talking about here are so-called fat burning foods. A few quick changes to what's inside your refrigerator and you can start losing weight immediately just by eating these foods that carry that unique quality that boosts your metabolism. However, that is just one side of the equation. You also need to make sure to get rid of the foods that are hindering your body from burning fat. And you would probably be surprised to find out which food it is. Many of them are what many of us would consider to be healthy and nutritious.

Eating certain foods while staying away from certain others will let your body burn off fat a lot quicker. It's because of this simplicity that this fat burning method is picking up steam and becoming more popular. Users of this method report amazing results after just a few weeks. Many experts have come around as well, from initially rejecting it to now fully embracing it and teaching it to others.

Are you prepared to reject a lot of what you have been taught up until now about the body and how it works, and what is and isn't required of you if you want to lose weight? You will have to start rejecting a lot of the conventional wisdom that's out there, and there's no doubt that you will be going against the grain a lot of the time.

Imagine how sweet it would be if your body could look great in time for this next summer, instead of the one the year after that? Wouldn't it be great to start seeing your body fat percentage drop in a matter of days? Perhaps it is at least worth looking into it a bit more? This is not a fad or some "quick fix" method to losing weight, but one that actually works when incorporated into your lifestyle.

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Weight Loss For Women - 4 Simple Exercises You Can Do From Home

Let's face it ladies, we all have very hectic schedules we have to deal with on a daily basis. We have to wake the children up, make sure they brush their teeth, make sure they eat breakfast, get them off to school and the list goes on and on. Even after you do all that you have to get yourself ready, get to work and be ready for what could be a long day at the office.
Its not easy. Usually with so much going on its hard to find the time exercise. Because of a lack of exercise more and more woman are become stressed out and overweight. The good news however is you don't have to leave your home to get exercise. Below I am going to share with you 4 simple exercises you can do right at home.
Exercise #1 - Tricep Dips
All you need for this exercise is a chair. Start by siting on the edge of the chair with both of your hands next to your thighs. Always make sure your feet are flat through the entire exercise. To do the exercise you will need to lift your body out in front of the chair just a tad bit. Once there start to slowly lower yourself down.
You don't want to bend your elbows more than 90 degrees. Now push yourself back up. Start small and work your way up. If all you can do is five then that's wonderful. As you get stronger you can do more. If you have wrist or shoulder problems avoid doing this exercise.
Exercise #2 - Pushups
If you want to work your arms and your chest this is the way to do it. Pushups are a great exercise you can do absolutely anywhere. If you are not strong enough to do the standard pushup use your knees to help you out. As you get stronger you can do different versions of the pushup such as the diamond shape pushup.
Exercise #3 - Crunches
Working your abs is easy with crunches. However, make sure you do them the right way. If done incorrectly you can injure your back and neck. Don't jerk your neck when doing crunches. You should focus on using nothing but your stomach muscles to move you up and down. Make sure your chin is always facing towards the ceiling. This will ensure you are using the proper technique.
Exercise #4 - Squats
Squats are by far one of my favorite exercises. If you want to build strong, sexy legs, this exercise will help you do just that. I actually believe it is one of the best weight loss exercises for women to do. Its simple and doesn't require any special equipment.
If you haven't done squats before be sure to start off slow. Lower yourself about a foot or so down. As you get stronger you can do deeper squats.

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Weight Loss Tips For Women - 4 Foods You Must Avoid

If you are serious about losing weight there are just certain foods you need to stay away from. Please know I am not saying you need to never eat this foods again for the rest of your life. I am simply saying you need to go easy on them. Everything is okay in moderation. However, for fast weight loss you need to just say no to these 4 foods.
Donuts
I will tell you one thing... I love me some Krispy Kreme donuts. I could probably eat a whole dozen by myself. But truth be told I would never allow myself to do that. Donuts a great for a special treat but other than that they should be eliminated from you diet.
Donuts are high in calories and in fat. Two things you don't want when trying to lose weight. A good, healthy alternative would be a plain whole bagel or some fresh fruit first thing in the morning.
Ice Cream
Again ladies, keep in mind I am only suggesting you avoid these foods while you are trying to drop those unwanted pounds. Once you reach your weight loss goals you can add these things back in. Just remember it's all about moderation. If you need your ice cream fix try Italian Ice. It's pretty delicious if I do say so myself.
Fruit Smoothies
This is one that really shocks people. There is nothing wrong with having a fruit smoothie. It's actually a very good option. However, it all depends on where you are getting that fruit smoothie from. You have to remember, when you are trying to lose weight everything counts. And even the healthiest foods have calories.
If you go to somewhere like Smoothie King, which is one of my favorites, get the smallest size available. It's not the fruit smoothie that's bad it's the portion size. The best thing to do is make your own fruit smoothie at home. That way you can control what's in it and how much of it you get.
Pie
Pie is something we all love to have for dessert. I would suggest you leave pie for special occasions only. One slice of pie can be 500 calories or more. That's a lot of calories. They are also full of sugar and other ingredients that simply aren't good for you. So if you can, save pie for Christmas and Thanksgiving. You can even have some on your birthday!

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Advanced Fat Grafting Procedure for a Butt Lift

Individuals desiring an attractive, rounded and firmly shaped derriere can consider advanced fat grafting procedure for a butt lift. A Brazilian butt lift involves using the patient's own body fat for adding volume to the buttocks. This is a natural way of enhancing the buttocks and is popular for the same reason.
Brazilian Buttock Augmentation - an Advanced Aesthetic Procedure
You are a candidate for a Brazilian butt lift if you have excess fat in areas such as the thighs, flanks and hips. A good donor site would be decided by the plastic surgeon after a careful evaluation of your physique. Nowadays, plastic surgeons use minimally invasive liposuction techniques to extract excess fat from the donor site. After that, the fat is processed for removing impurities. The processed fat is injected into specific areas and at specific depths in the buttocks for improving the volume and enhancing the contour. The position for fat placement and the quantity of fat to be placed would be determined by the surgeon. This method is very safe and effective compared to implant augmentation because no foreign materials are inserted in the body. An additional advantage is that the donor area is trimmed down through liposuction.
Excellent Results and Other Advantages
Butt lift surgery is a great option and ensures maximum advantages when provided at a reliable, AAAASF-accredited plastic surgery practice in the US. You can find such a practice in Manhattan, New York, where reputable plastic surgeons focus on providing the best body sculpting results for their patients.
When the right practice is chosen, the benefits that you get to enjoy include:

• Services of trained and expert surgeons
• Personalized solutions with complete post surgery care
• Minimal side effects
• Minimal discomfort and scarring
• Use of safe and advanced techniques of liposuction
• Faster recovery

Some research has to be done to identify the right plastic surgery practice. You can talk to your family physician and ask him/her to recommend a good plastic surgeon. Online directories and Yellow Pages are also great options to find a reliable surgeon and plastic surgery center. Plastic surgery reviews, articles, blogs and testimonials can be checked out. All this information can be used to find a surgeon who is experienced and skilled in butt lift surgery. This would ensure an effective and safe procedure and attractive aesthetic results.
Butt lift via fat grafting has become a popular procedure mainly account of its effectiveness and safety. In advanced plastic surgery facilities, surgeons use the TouchView TM diagnostic imaging system for more accurate placement of the processed fat. This system enables the surgeon to see exactly where the fat is being placed and also the amount of fat that is deposited. Have your Brazilian butt lift done in a reliable plastic surgery facility in New York City and enjoy the best aesthetic results.

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Ladies: Reduce Belly Fat

Men and women are different in many ways: Men tend to think in terms of facts, whereas women think in terms of feelings; men tend to have more muscle than women; women have an extra layer of subcutaneous fat; and men have more water in their bodies than women. This is shown by the fact that if a man and a woman drink the same amount of alcohol, their blood alcohol reading will always be different. The man's will always be lower than the woman's. A woman's body shape is generally different from that of a man.
For both men and women, fat accumulates on their bodies in certain places: Arms, neck, chest, bottom, thighs, and belly. Because men have more muscle than women, they typically exercise their muscles in order to lose weight. But women need to use different methods than men, and these include walking, running with weights, playing sports like tennis or squash or golf or swimming, and cycling on the road or using an exercise bike. Walking tones the legs and bottom.
Weight is gained when we take more energy into our bodies than we need. The excess energy is stored in the form of fat cells on our neck and arms and bellies and thighs and bottoms. Weight is lost when we take less energy into our bodies than we need. We lose weight by reducing the amount of energy food we eat, and by making our bodies use more energy, so that the energy being used is more than the amount of energy coming in. This forces our bodies to use the energy stored in our fat cells. This then causes our stored fat cells to be reduced in number, and this means that our neck and arms and chest and bottom and thighs and belly will get smaller.
Foods which are high in energy contain sugar and carbohydrates. Foods which are much lower in energy are proteins and fats. If we reduce or eliminate foods containing sugar and carbohydrates, we force our bodies to use stored energy cells to power our bodies, as long as our energy output exceeds our energy input.
So you must find exercises to do which will enable you to burn energy, and you must reduce the amount of sugary food and carbohydrate food which you eat. This will affect your emotions. The fact is that sugary food and carbohydrate rich foods do make us feel better. But they also make us fat and give us big bellies and thighs and bottoms. So if you can put up with the side effects of this sort of dieting, you will notice an improvement in your figure.

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Top 3 Reasons For Taking A Raspberry Ketone Supplement

A lot of people choose to make use of supplements to address health issues they may have, whether it is because of their being overweight or their being deficient of certain vitamins. One supplement that has become very popular in the health and wellness community is raspberry ketone, which was featured by a celebrated doctor on his show. While it is better known as a weight loss aid, it may have other health benefits as well. Moreover, here are the top three reasons for taking the supplement.
1. It may help one control their food cravings.
While one would like to reduce the amount of food they consume every day, they may not be able to do so because their brain is not getting the signal that they have enough energy in their fat cells. Leptin is a hormone responsible for sending this signal, but one may have low leptin sensitivity. In effect, they would feel full hungry when they are not supposed to. And, this may lead to overweight if not obesity. By taking the supplement, however, one's leptin sensitivity may be improved. Consequently, the amount of food they consume may be reduced.
2. It may allow the body to burn fat safely and efficiently.
This is primarily because the supplement may increase one's adiponectin levels. Adiponectin is one of the adipocytokines, which are protein hormones produced by the fat cells. Its levels are negatively correlated to one's weight. As such, overweight individuals generally have low levels of the hormone. By taking the supplement, however, their body may burn fat more efficiently, helping them lose weight naturally.
3. It is natural.
Raspberry ketone is considered a natural supplement, and it does not have known side effects. Those who are below eighteen years old, pregnant, and have known medical conditions are advised to consult their health care providers before taking the supplement, though.

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Is My Weight Loss Diet The Problem? Find Out Why

Are you like most women who have been on and tried millions of weight loss diets such as celebrity diets, diets from magazines that has the abs of J. Lo, the Atkins diet, and all of the other fad diets and you still are not finding the results that you desire? There are so many programs out there and you have tried them all but you don't know where to go from here. Have you thought that maybe the issue with your weight loss is not the diet itself? Or is it? There are so many factors that go into weight loss diet that it can run someone crazy. Maybe it's more than the program itself... maybe it's YOU! Try these Weight Loss Tips For Women...
Weight Loss Has Failed You?
Just when you thought you've achieved the results that you've desired, 4 months later you end up right at square one where you began. Why is that? This happens because most diets out there do not treat you for long term transformation, but only for short term transformation. You ever seen those magic pills and those who spend hundreds and thousands of dollars for surgery? They get what they're looking for, but they put on the weight 4 months later because they did not take care of the real issue! That issue is... themselves!!!
If you have emotional issues or low-self esteem problems and you are into emotional eating, you will gain all the weight back that you worked so hard to lose. The best way to lose weight is to lose weight from the inside and out! Find something that you love to do. Read self-development books and realize that you are worth so much more than just an outward appearance. Potential is placed inside of every single person on earth. It is time that you begin to work that potential like a muscle and start seeing yourself as a valued individual who can accomplish anything that you set your mind to.
Turning Failure into Success
Begin telling yourself that you deserve not only a great body, but a great life. Begin to challenge yourself for greatness everyday! Why are we so scared of doing things above average? It is because others are not doing it as a majority and when you begin to separate yourself from the masses, you are no longer the majority but the minority. But the minority is the ones who get the most out of life. Be part of the minority! Challenge yourself to be great! You deserve it because greatness is inside of you, regardless of how you view yourself.
Weight Loss, better health, lifting weight for a better body, and other things that involves changing your body's appearance is great. It makes you look at yourself to realize that you have not been taking the best care of your body that you could've been. We're not talking about surgery here. Your nose is your nose, and your lips are your lips. Don't change those things. As far as the health of your body, you are able to look back at things that were compromised on that caused you to gain weight. Maybe there was a broken heart from a past relationship, or a family member had recently passed and you didn't want to live anymore. Getting a great weight loss diet will help you overcome those things. You are facing your problems and taking your life back. Be great!
Practical and Fun
If you're using a weight loss diet and program that absolutely sucks and is a drag for you, guess what... you will not see the results you desire because chances are that you will quit. Find something that you enjoy. This may cause you to try new things that you haven't tried before. My fiancée hates walking on the treadmill so I took her to play tennis. I showed her how to hit the ball properly and now she waits on me at the tennis court because she is so eager to play. She's also very competitive that the makes it more intense:) Try biking on biking-trails, skating, rowing at a local lake that has boats to rent, volleyball, and the list goes on. When you find something that you enjoy, it is very possible to drop a whole size in 1-2 weeks.
After finding something that you really enjoy, involve a little strength training into your workout. Adding resistance to your workout is what really brings faster results. You will not regret adding weight to your workouts along with doing activities that you really enjoy. In fact, you will see a huge difference in the efficiency of your activities as you continue to get stronger from your strength training. Believe it or not, you are making yourself a superhuman!
As you get stronger and find new activities that keep you active, you will also notice a change in your attitude and outlook on life. It feels good to find something that you love to do because you will look forward to doing these things. It is almost as if you will become a junky as you experience a total body transformation... inside and out. There's nothing better.

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Weight Loss Tips For Women and Common Mistakes in Losing Weight

Weight loss advice come fast and furious from magazine covers, TV commercials or friendly neighbors. You can easily get caught up in the fat burning madness, if you are not careful with all the tips. Here are a few weight loss tips for women in order to avoid the pitfalls you may encounter on your quest for a leaner figure.
Systematic overeating
We have all felt the urge to continue eating despite the fact that we are way past the point of satiety. Your stomach will gradually increase its size as a result of systematic overeating. More room to fill, means more calories in. The more you overindulge, the harder it becomes to satisfy your hunger. The solution - slowly cut the sizes of your portions. This will make your bloated stomach shrink over time. Another trick to keep your appetite at bay is to have protein dense snacks throughout the day.
Processed foods
Going all natural can be a time-consuming and money-draining endeavor when it comes to food. The secret is to opt for foods that coming from the ground. What does this mean? The less processed food is, the healthier it is. Consuming refined beverages causes blood sugar levels to spike, which is almost the same as turning a fat-storing switch on. Your best bet for a healthy menu is food that is close to its original state.
Confusing thirst with hunger
When you are stuck behind the desk with a pile of paperwork, you are likely to ignore the urge for a glass of water. Dehydration may cause the body to experience a slight sensation of fatigue, much like when you are sleep deprived. The brain sends the signal that energy is needed straight away. The first source of energy is food, so your brain falsely assumes that you are hungry when in fact you are just thirsty. Misreading the signals of your body is one of the main culprits for the surplus calorie count. To stay hydrated throughout the day, have at least 7 glasses of water.
Eating on the go
The lack of time in our fast-paced life causes us to grab a bite on the run or skip a meal altogether. However, this may turn in a landmine that is almost impossible to sidestep. The most likely scenario in this case is to pig out as soon as we get the chance. Stuffing yourself not only spoils the taste of the food, but it adds extra inches to your waistline. Enjoy your meals - savor the flavor by having small bites. The rule of thumb to keep away hunger is to have moderate portions regularly. Scheduling your menu may be difficult but grabbing a fruit or a handful of nuts now and then is achievable.
Lack of fat
While for many women foods rich in fats are counterproductive to tightening the belt, nutritionists say just the opposite. Cutting fat from your menu completely will derail your weight loss plans, driving your body in starvation mode. Instead of burning extra pounds, to compensate for the lack of nutrients, your cells start burning muscle. Add some healthy fats to your menu. Olive oil, fish, avocado or nuts are great choices but stay away from the hard stuff - fatty cuts of meat, fried foods and sugary delights. Remember Omega-3 fatty acids are your friends, trans-fats and saturated fats - not so much.

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5 Steps To Starting A Weight Loss Exercise Plan

There are many benefits of exercise regardless of your age, sex or physical ability. But sometimes the effort to get started is just too much, and it is easier to stay sitting on the couch wishing that you could lose weight and get fitter rather than actually doing something about it. Regular exercise has both immediate and long-lasting effects but it easy to avoid. But you have to break the habit of inactivity. A human body at rest tends to stay at rest, and a human being in motion tends to stay in motion.
Here are five steps to get your weight loss exercise plan into action so you can begin to live a happier, healthier and longer life.
1. Exercise First Thing.
Exercising first thing in the morning has been proven to lead to improved health patterns, increased productivity during the day and greater tendency to stick with the exercise routine. It's easy to make excuses about missing out on your workout session at the end of a long and hectic day. Whilst when it's the morning, you are fresh and can get your exercise completed before you start your day.
2. Remain Consistent.
Exercise regularly for 17 to 21 days. Typically it takes two and a half to three weeks to program your mind into habit forming actions. After that time, which may be shorter for some and longer for some people, your exercise plan has becomes a routine. It results in being a pre-programmed and an automatic activity in your weekly schedule.
3. Change Your Attitude To Exercise.
Your weight loss exercise plan will help you to more than just lose weight.
The mental benefits of exercise, even at moderate levels, bring about good self-esteem, reduced feelings of depression, a lesser amount of anxiety and decreased stress. It can even help your sleep patterns. Start off small and slowly build on the amount of weekly physical activity that you do. Eventually, your opinion of exercise will start to improve over time.
4. Have A Goal.
One of the greatest benefits of exercise is when you see results. Losing a couple of pounds or inches has a dramatic effect on how you view exercise and physical activity. By setting goals you have something to aim for and by having a purpose for your weight loss exercise plan you will be more likely to reach your desired weight and body shape.
5. Get A Friend To Join In.
Research has consistently proven that getting someone else involved in your exercise regime to lose weight holds you accountable, and you become more consistent with your physical activity. You'll both enjoy the social benefits of exercise and you'll start to see the results as you both lose weight. Having a friend that is exercising along with you can really motivate you to keep going.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8583714

Creating a Healthy Habit - My Big Blue Cup

Most people will agree one of the healthiest habits you can adopt is to drink lots of water each and every day. Not only does water nourish and hydrate the body, but it aides digestion along with flushing impurities from the body. Best yet, water has absolutely zero calories so it literally is the perfect beverage.
To be honest, I have not always been a die-hard water drinker. It was a habit that I needed to develop particularly since I was a heavy soda consumer. When I say heavy, I mean daily. Terrible, terrible, terrible.
Thankfully I've changed this habit around and now regularly drink at least six glasses of water each day, sometimes in upwards of ten glasses a day. That's how much I've come to enjoy this refreshing, healthy beverage
That leads us now to the topic of this post - My Big Blue Cup.
I have this rather large-sized plastic blue cup that holds exactly 28 ounces of liquid. I have no idea where this cup came from, or how it came into my possession, but for the past year it has come to be known personally for me as my big blue cup.
Aside from my 1 cup of coffee I drink in the morning, water is generally the beverage I consume for the remainder of the day. When eating lunch, a bottle of water, my snack always goes hand-in-hand with water, dinner usually 2 glasses of water, and definitely after working out - water, water, water.
At home, the first thing I look for when I'm thirsty is my big blue cup. For some reason this plain, un-decorative plastic cup that most likely cost no more than a dollar has really helped me stick with drinking water on a daily basis and that is what's key here.
My big blue cup has become such a standard instrument for me, drinking out of another cup when at home means I'm not drinking water. Plus since this cup holds 28 ounces, I'm actually getting 3 glasses of water each time I drink the entire thing!
Point is, if a special cup or glass will help inspire you to create a healthy habit, jump on it. Go for it! Whatever it takes to develop positive, healthy habits is what's most important to take from this.
Designate what your inspirational drinking cup, mug, glass, bottle will be and it may help you stick with the healthy habit of drinking water every day just like my big blue cup has done for me.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8583738

Wait! Exercise Is Not All About Weight

Get past the thinking that associates the need for exercise with the need to lose weight. Exercise isn't a punishment for having become overweight. It's a privilege and a gift.
Of course there is a relationship between exercise and weight loss- but the connection and the association between the two isn't one that's always relevant.
There is a fundamental error commonly made in associating the need for exercise with the need to lose weight. No matter what you're doing right or wrong when it comes to your weight and your food choices, exercise will always be beneficial and necessary for good health.
Of course if a person appears overweight it's obvious that to some degree, exercise and proper eating have been ignored. But whether you're at your preferred weight or carrying too much weight for your frame, you'll always need exercise to be in your life.
At least half of fitness is eating well, followed by exercise and proper rest. Choosing fitness through proper eating and exercise is a choice and an opportunity that's equally available and equally important to everyone.
Getting started with a fitness program is a choice that empowers you to take control of your life. You may find it difficult to get started but once you do your rewards will be numerous and invaluable.
Keep the issues of food and exercise separate in your mind because even though they affect each other, they are independent of the other.
One secret to success in life is learning how to help yourself- discovering what works and doesn't work- for you.
Maybe what you really need is to learn how to enjoy exercise and to acquire some strategies to help you eat healthier food and avoid the bad stuff.
Once your body acclimates to exercise, then exercise should feel good to your body and your body will actually crave the exercise. It follows that if it feels good to your body, then it's possible to learn to enjoy exercise- regardless of any previous negative experience.
Don't regard exercise as something you now must do because you have become overweight. Regard exercise and proper eating as the fundamentals of good health that are available to you and provide you an opportunity to create good health for yourself.
A shortage of time for exercise is perhaps the most common excuse given for not exercising. You're wise if your exercise plan includes at-home exercise because at home exercise provides the greatest opportunity for time management.
Does exercise directly affect your weight? Yes. However, here are some important considerations to think about:
• What you eat is far more important to maintaining optimal weight than how you exercise your body. Bad food choices can be viewed as good opportunities lost. Bad food choices are you shooting yourself in your own foot.
• Exercise isn't only about burning calories while you're in the middle of an activity. Your exercise choice (weight training, for example) could potentially and additionally help your body build muscle while losing fat.
• You can affect and improve your basil metabolism with exercise choices that will change your body's ratio of fat to muscle. Resting muscle requires more calories to exist than fat requires. Because you have more muscle you'll be burning more calories- before you start your exercise routine. This amount of extra calories burned could easily eliminate the extra five pounds so many of us gain each year- that add up significantly when multiplied by five or ten years.
Getting out of shape is like getting into debt. The further you let things go the longer the recovery time. If you nip things in the bud everything is easier.
Don't make things so difficult for yourself. No matter how far in a hole you are, you still climb out the same way- by getting started.
Don't wait and don't quit. Start now to create good habits for eating and exercise in your life. Don't compare your journey to anyone else's. We can all be on a fitness journey while we are at different mile markers.
Get started as soon as possible but don't rush the fitness process. Once you're fitness process is underway you'll gain multiple rewards. The most difficult part is the thinking about it before you get started.
Add one new good food habit as you eliminate one bad one. What you don't know before you start improving your eating habits is that your taste will change and you won't miss what you thought you would.
All reasons are good reasons to work out. Forget about yesterday. Today is fresh and new. You can start with the littlest bit of exercise and add more when you're able.
Exercise moderately if you care about longevity and avoiding injury.
To be well enough to be able to exercise is a beautiful gift that everyone doesn't possess. Exercising your body is a way to give thanks and praise for your gift of good health. You'll be demonstrating respect for your gift by doing what's within your personal power to take good care of it.
If you're interested in losing weight then examine and adjust your food choices and eating habits. You'll never end the stay-slim struggle simply by exercising. A tug-a-war will continue.
You will end your stay slim struggle when you merge together good choices for exercise and eating- and turn those choices into habits.
Embrace the gift of being able to work out. Regard your fitness habit as a truly priceless gift you're giving yourself. Exercise and proper eating will make you think better, feel better, look better, and be better.
Be moderate. Be consistent. Become healthy. Stay healthy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8585271

Curbing Your Carbs - Really?

How often do we hear "I am on Low Carb- High Protein diet" or "I am having no carbs for dinner" or "Carbs are so fattening no?" or How often do we read articles that so categorically state that Carbs are what make us prone to central obesity, diabetes, etc.?
How convenient is it to blame the CARBS and forget to look at our lifestyle - I mean, the fact that we were so occupied killing time on our lounge chairs or sofas or office chair or on our car seat - we were so busy stressing out over issues that really dint matter or even spend sleepless nights partying & drinking or watching movies or religiously completing assignments at the 'last minute'. Oh! But all this is okay!! But we need to cut carbs.. Avoid rice and then all will be well. And we will be magically thin. Did we find Cinderella's fairy godmother? And if we haven't then let's face some facts!!
Let us start with considering the Chemistry of Carbs - what is a carbohydrate - when broken down to basics carbohydrates are a combination of Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen molecules. Now depending on how loosely or compactly they are tied together do they become simple carbs or complex carbs. And yes - our body needs both!
We find these simple carbs in all fruits and complex carbs in all grains including rice, dals/ pulses and lentils. These are natural foods. Now processed foods like cakes, biscuits, pizza, breads, ice creams, chocolates are also carbs, but these are not really complex because these are processed and refined (i.e. The fibers from the grains have been completely peeled off and also have lots of added sugar). And yes, these are the carbs we need to restrict because they come with their share of the very popular trans-fats, sodium, preservatives, added colours and emulsifiers. They not only block, congest, clog and choke our arteries, they also raise our blood pressure, cause mood swings and YES, add to our girth - Central Obesity. So when indulging in such meals restrict to once a week and preferably before sunset, because that is when our digestive system is still in the 'active mode'.
((I am so tempted to write about desserts here too, but I think I would leave that for another post & stick to my Carbs here!))
Did you know that our grains like rice, wheat, jowar, ragi, bajra, and the various dals and fruits we consume provide our body not just with energy-giving carbs [or calorie-giving carbs;), hope you remember that calorie is nothing but unit of energy... and is also loaded with essential fatty acids, amino acids, high fiber, water soluble B vitamins and loads of micro minerals like selenium, zinc, chromium and many other essential nutrients.
Are these not our doctor's prescriptions for maintaining our youth and vitality... to improve our immunity... to help lower blood pressure? This in turn escalates peristalsis, improves fat burning and thus lead to a slimmer waist line and a definitely a healthier heart. Curbing your carbs diminishes your body's ability to burn fat naturally. The key to success is MODERATION. Watch the quantity. Anything in excess is bad.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8568764