Some Facts About The Xtreme Fat Loss Diet Review

 

Losing weight has never been easier with the Xtreme fat loss diet review. It does not take a great deal of exercise as some may be lead to believe in order to lose weight. As the saying goes, you are what you eat, is a perfect way to describe this effect weight loss program.

Many will attest to this who have tried out this diet themselves without having to put in too much time exercising in the gym and lifting copious amounts of weights. There is a difference between losing weight and building muscles. You will lose weight by going to the gym and you will develop those incredible six packs or well toned abdominal muscles if you so choose to.

The great thing is about this diet is that your first day is a cheat day. So within each five day cycle you are in fact only dieting over a four day period. Once you reach your sixth day it is once again a cheat day when you can eat anything you like such as cakes, hot dogs, burgers, steak rolls with fried onions, candy and anything your heart desires.

The reasons as to why we put on weight is because our bodies can only use so much of what we feed it. The rest it stores and this is the reason we put on weight and develop those chunky fatty parts on our bodies that we hate to look at or admire with relish. On the most part, as far as our bodies are concerned this is not the healthy state it would like to be in.

Another reason for that the cheat day is included in this diet is that by eating anything you like on this day adds a motivational factor. The other reason is that other foods that are not incorporated in this formulation actually help with hormone production. It is a situation most dieters like to find themselves in and inevitably look forward to their cheat day.

Day two is the most challenging day of them all but with day three set in your sights to achieve it is a day that is easily achieved. This is the hardest day of them all according to some of the practitioners of this diet as it is the day that you are not allowed to eat anything at all. It is a fast day where only recommended supplements are allowed to be ingested.

With this fat loss diet you can see the difference within a twenty five day period. The twenty five day period is broken up into five day cycles. Each day of every five day cycle period has its own unique diet program so that after twenty five days you have changed the way you eat and with it a new you.

The Xtreme fat loss diet review bases its formulation on eating healthily and follows a natural order. It is a means whereby you can continue eating normally but at the same time shed those pounds. Once you have built this into your daily eating pattern you are now in control of what you eat.

Ayurvedic Diet Stops Craving

 

By Oankar Kundan

There are three basic principles to eating healthy. First, eat what's fresh; second, choose food that is in season and third, choose what's locally produced. These principles maybe applied to all kinds of cuisine, be it Asian, European or Mediterranean so that preference does not really matter when it comes to Ayurvedic diet. It's a diet suited to all cooking cultures.

The best way to follow these principles is to buy food from the farmer's market - where you have the fresh, seasonal and local which are also cheaper. Of course winter is a different story and this is where the frozen tomatoes and other preserved foods become useful. So as you can see this diet is also practical or for those who watch their spending.

People often associate this diet with vegetables, rice and spices but in reality it can be applied to any cuisine as long as the principles are followed (and Ayurvedic spices are added). Basic spices include ginger, turmeric, cumin and coriander. These have medicinal properties aside from enhancing the aroma and flavor of the foods.

How it Stops Craving

Here is a tip you will find very helpful. Following the Ayurvedic diet actually helps you stop cravings! There are six recognized tastes that should be included in daily meals. Cravings take place when all six tastes are not included in the diet. It is important that these six tastes in the Ayurvedic diet are consumed in the order of how the body digests food: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. By doing so the body feels satisfied after a meal. Naturally, if you leave out one taste, example the sweet (sugar, rice, milk), you're not feeling as satisfied as you want and will be craving long after the meal is over. This diet seems the reverse of how we consume our food since we usually have the sweets at the end of the meal. But following this order is holistic and makes sense. For example, eating something bitter like lettuce and turmeric or astringent like beans or lentils at the end minimizes cravings for sweets. As you can see this diet is also a great way of losing weight - without trying hard.

Agni and Healthy Eating Habits

Ayurvedic doctors regard Agni as the most important concept of the diet. Agni refers to the digestive fire of the body. A strong and healthy Agni means the body can digest anything, while a fragile one means digestion is weakened. The body also produces toxins when the Agni is weak. To ensure a strong Agni, follow these healthy eating habits: Prepare the body to receive food by taking 3-5 slow breaths before the meal; don't eat when you're angry because you are not only eating the food but also the emotions of the person who cooked the meal; turn off the radio or television and eat in a quiet environment; don't read books either; chew your food properly to improve digestion and absorption of food; don't rush when you're eating and eat until you are satisfied, but not until you feel heavy and tired; drink half a cup of water at room temperature (dry meals may require more liquid); avoid drinking cold water because it destroys the Agni and slows down digestion; wait for 15-20 minutes after a meal before you do anything; allow 3 hours between meals for the food to digest; your largest meal should be at lunch and the smallest meal in the evening. The body mirrors the energy of the universe making digestion at its strongest when the sun is at its peak. You should also never skip breakfast.

Baking Without Gluten Can Be Fun and Tasty!

 

By Kay E Williams

I have been a baker all my life. From the time I could stand on a chair in the kitchen, I baked every chance I got. My family loved it that I had this baking obsession, because it meant a lot of homemade treats for them.

I used to make wedding cakes. I prided myself on making them delicious as well as beautiful. My daughter's brown bag lunches almost always had a homemade cookie or brownie for dessert. Pies are my personal favorite and I make a mean crust. I perfected what I think is the ultimate cream pie base years ago and have always used my grandmother's fruit pie formula. Then there is bread, which hot from the oven, is the ultimate comfort food.

My apologies to all my friends and family who have been contaminated over the years by my love of making unhealthy baked goods.

As my knowledge about healthful eating has increased, my love of baking has not decreased. Therefore, I am continually experimenting with different ingredients and figuring out what works with my eating plan and my sense of responsibility to those I cook for, as well as my passion for baking.

Since there are many people avoiding gluten, I've been experimenting with gluten-free baking lately. There are a lot of recipes out there for those on a gluten-free diet, but frankly, they are way too much trouble and sometimes contain ingredients I don't wish to use. Not being one to follow a recipe anyway, I've come up with some baked goods that are simple, delicious and do not involve ingredients with the word "gum" in them.

Trying different flours is a fun way to start baking without gluten. My favorites are brown rice, buckwheat, almond, and coconut. I also use oat flour that is simply organic oats that I put through a food processor. Chickpea and amaranth flours are also good alternatives.

Combining flours is much more interesting than just using one kind. Here are my current favorite combinations: rice and buckwheat, almond and buckwheat, oat and buckwheat, almond and oat. The combinations are endless and make for much more interesting flavors than just a single type of flour.

Of course if you are baking sans gluten, you have to add a substitute ingredient to hold things together. The best gluten substitute I know of is potato starch. Use about a tablespoon for each cup of gluten-free flour. Arrowroot starch is also a good alternative for baking and both of these starches are wonderful thickeners for sauces and soups.

Thankfully, I love to experiment with food so leaving my old ways of baking behind isn't too painful. I could buy a bunch of cookbooks and follow someone else's recipes, but where's the creativity in that? I'll post recipes on my website as I get them written down. In the meantime, here's to baking without guilt!

Visit me today for a free health and wellness consultation.
http://kay-williams.healthcoach1.integrativenutrition.com/contact-kay-williams

Can The Pounds Come Off Too Fast On Medifast?

 

By Lindsey Price

I sometimes hear from people who are interested in the Medifast diet but who worry about whether it's a truly safe or sensible option. One common concern is how fast the weight comes off. Some folks witness the perceived results of others and worry that the weight loss happens too quickly to be viewed as optimal.

I heard from someone who said: "one of my good friends started Medifast a couple of months ago. She has lost a drastic amount of weight. I am inspired by her weight loss, but I'm wondering if it is all too much. Do you lose weight too quickly on Medifast?" I can certainly tell you my opinion on this but please keep in mind that I am not a doctor nor am I a member of the company itself. So it might be a decent idea to ask these folks if you still have concerns.

Why I Believe That Medifast Weight Loss Is Sensible: I realize that some people might disagree with me, but I don't find this to be a fad diet. You eat no less than six times per day. You take in well over 1,000 calories each day. And you eat one larger fresh meal that you prepare for yourself. You are also allowed to have two additional approved snacks on top of the six meals per day. So it's not as if you are eating nothing but the diet's foods. You do take in a good deal of fresh foods each day.

In terms of the speed with which you lose the weight, this varies from person to person. The statistics indicate a range of 2 - 5 pounds per week initially with the loss tapering off after that. If you look at the numbers for the first month, the average range is about nine pounds or around 2.5 pounds per week. Now of course, some people will do better and some may even do worse. But I don't think that these numbers are that alarming. This is only a moderate and not severe rate of weight loss. In general, most people agree that the faster the weight comes off, the better the chance is that it will come back just as quickly. That's why it's preferable that you take the weight off gradually, to give yourself the best chance of keeping it off.

I had no way of knowing how much weight this women's friend had lost. It could have been that she started off not that large to begin with so even a moderate amount of loss appeared to be more than it actually was. Or, it could have been that she had been exercising and she looked leaner and more toned, giving the appearance of severe weight loss. (The company recommends that you take it easy as far as exercise goes for the first couple of weeks.)

But to answer the question posed from my own opinion, I don't feel that most people lose weight too quickly on this diet. And I suspect that people who do are over exercising (which certainly isn't recommended) or not following the diet as designed.

If you'd like more information about what life is really like on Medifast, feel free to check out my free ebook "Getting The Most Out Of Medifast" at   http://easiest-diet.com/free-medifast-ebook/html

Can You Choose Your Own Foods On Nutrisystem?

 

By Ava Alderman

I often hear from people who are interested in the Nutrisystem diet but who first want to know what their experience might be like on a daily basis. One of the most common concerns is if you get enough variety and if you get to choose your own meals.

I heard from someone who said: "I am thinking about Nutrisystem, but I like to be spontaneous with my meals. I don't want to be told what to eat and when to eat it. Do I get to pick my own foods? Or will I just have to eat what they send me with no choice about what to eat and when I eat it?" I will address these concerns below.

You Can Always Customize Your Nutrisystem Package: Admittedly, Nutrisystem does have a favorites package for each plan and these are very popular. They include the most widely purchased breakfasts, dinners, lunches, desserts, and snacks in each favorites package. So you can be pretty sure that you are getting the foods that many people like the best. And better yet, you don't even have to think about it or make a lot of choices. However, we are not all alike. What someone else loves might not be the best choice for you.

So, Nutrisystem does offer a customizable package where you get to look over a menu of all possible options and chose your own. Essentially, you're given the entire menu at the time and you go through and just check off what you want. It does keep track of how many choices that you've made so it will tell you how many choices of each meal that you have left.

You Also Get To Chose Your Own Grocery Add Ins: In case you don't know, you eat three main meals plus a snack and dessert for each day that you are on this diet. In addition to this, you are asked to add in grocery items with each meal. This might be a piece of fruit, a small salad, some string cheese, or a yogurt. (These are just examples, you are free to add in whatever healthy sides you wish.) And this gives you a little more variety. While the company does offer side suggestions, you are free to add in whatever sounds good to you at the time as long as it fits in with the guidelines for the grocery add ins.

You Get To Decide Which Food Choice You Want To Make And Also When You Want To Make It: You are also free to choose whenever you want to eat each meal. Although it makes sense to eat every few hours to make sure that you get all of your meals in for the day, you are free to choose a schedule that works best for you.

So to answer the question posed, yes, you can pick and choose your own foods. You are able to do this both in terms of the menu that you chose and also in terms of the sides that you add in. Additionally, you are free to choose any food in your stash at any time.

Want more tips on being successful on or starting Nutrisystem while saving money? Ava's Nutrisystem Information Website features articles meant to help you evaluate and have success with this diet. There's also a link to a free eBook and the latest coupons to help you get started. You can visit her at http://ava-alderman-weight-loss-articles.com/

How Do People Eat So Many Green Vegetables On The Medifast Diet?

 

I get a lot of emails from people who have concerns about complying with the Medifast lean and green meal. Basically, this is the main meal that you make each day which includes lean protein and vegetables. This sounds simple enough but some people get hung up on the specifics of it. And a common concern is eating all of those vegetables.

I heard from someone who said: "I am wondering how people fit in all of those greens on the Medifast lean and green meal. I will be honest. I do not like vegetables. I will not have any problem coming up with the lean protein part of the meal. But I am lost on that many vegetables. How do people do it?" I will address these concerns below.

You Are Only Looking At Three Small Servings Of A Wide Variety Of Vegetables: Many people have the perception that the vegetables that they chose must be green. They truly don't. Yes, some of the non green vegetables have more starch so you want to use those a little more sparingly. But there are countless vegetables that are fair game and many of them are downright tasty. Basically, you get a larger serving (1 cup) of green vegetables and a smaller serving (1/2 cup) of vegetables that are less green.

I understand not liking vegetables. I was not a big fan either. But honestly, if you are going to embrace a healthier lifestyle with the intention of keeping the weight off, then you need to look at them a little differently. They are necessary for good health and for maintaining a healthy weight and when prepared correctly, they are delicious.

Here's some suggestions. I personally adore red peppers. I actually prefer them raw. But they are also wonderful in a simple stir fry of onions, mushrooms and peppers. (I also love this combination in an omelet with eggs being my protein for that meal.) Also, you can buy this or other similar combinations frozen if you want so that all you have to do is heat them up.

Another possibility is a simple salad of lettuce, cucumbers and carrots or broccoli. (And if you are in a hurry can you add some lean chicken and have a salad as your meal. I also know that many people buy these from a store or drive through restaurant as long as you are careful with the dressing.) Steamed vegetables can also be a wonderful way to quickly get a lot of vegetables. Think about peas with cauliflower and asparagus. I even know of people having simple tomato soup with some leftover vegetables thrown in. Speaking of tomatoes, sliced juicy tomatoes with basil is absolutely delicious.

I know that many people assume that vegetables are very bland. But there are a couple of things that you can do to counter this. You don't want to over cook or over steam them. I eat them raw quite often for this reason. You don't want for them to be limp. Instead, they taste better crisp in my opinion. I also use seasonings. I know a lot of people like fresh herbs but I really like Cajun seasonings or hot sauce on mine. Some people use lemon juice. As long as you aren't adding sugar, fat, or carbs, experiment and see what tastes good to you.

The whole idea is for this to be very flexible so that you can learn to make lot of choices that give you a lot of variety. You don't want to force yourself to eat something you aren't going to like because then you aren't likely to continue it. And the whole idea is cultivating a healthier lifestyle that you can maintain once the weight is lost.

Want more tips for saving money with medifast? Lindsey is the author of the free ebook "Getting The Most Out Of Medifast," which includes coupons and discounts, a list of all of the food options (including the shakes,) detailed information about the diet and how it works, it's pros and cons, having success on it, and recipes for it. To get a free copy (immediate download/no information required), click here. You can also visit her diet review website to read it at http://easiest-diet.com/free-medifast-ebook/html

How Do You Handle The Holidays When You're On The Medifast Diet?

 

By Lindsey Price

Sometimes I hear people who care to stick to your diet if you have special occasions in your life. Examples are things like weddings, parties and holidays. Winter holidays (such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah., And Kwanza) are particularly difficult because most of the celebrations revolve around food rich and fattening. Not participate in these events can make you feel as if you took each down. However, those who have made progress in their diet and they appreciate their results will do nothing to endanger the same results.

I heard from someone who said: ... "Thanksgiving will be at home this year, I have more than fifteen people my guests obviously can not serve people's diet I mean, I can cook a lean and green meal for so many people. And I really want to participate in this festival without having to feel bad about it. Meanwhile, I have done very well in Medifast.'m very excited about the way I look and I do not want to come back as j 'was in poor health. How are all the holiday festivities Medifast? "I'll try to answer these questions in the following article.

Here is my perspective on this subject. Probably not a good idea to ask a counselor about it on the company website Medifast an official response. I am not an occupational scheme, but I can certainly say what worked for me. Please note that everyone is different. My attitude is that I do what I do to stay on the diet for you to achieve and maintain my weight loss goals.

However, my view has always been focused on the long term. I prefer to be at my ideal weight within five years and the way forward in a slow and steady pace to lose a lot of weight quickly taking drastic measures can not keep to gain weight is only later.

To this end, I really try not to do my daily diet in any environment as a bad experience. I try to have fun and that means I do not put much pressure on myself. I want to enjoy the holidays with my family and I do just that. However, I usually do not eat too many sweets and unhealthy foods. If I eat food like that, I feel very weak and, frankly, often taste too sweet or heavy. So normally leave, but my portions are smaller than a few years ago.

And do not worry about it. I do not carry around excessive guilt or negative emotions. I just found out that day to enjoy foods that are for that special occasion. I'm going to enjoy this day and I will enjoy every bite. But the next day I'll be back on track without much fan dishes.

Now, you can always make informed decisions at the feast. In general, it is better to eat fattening foods high in protein foods which soft do not offer much in the way of nutrition. Then, cheese and crackers or deviled eggs will be a better choice than a piece of cake. But if you really want that piece of cake, I personally do not deny or project that you feel is lacking in the diet, which is the last thing you want to do.

If I were in the situation of the reader, I'd love my guests at home, without creating unnecessary tension on the diet. It's just a couple of days in the year. And yes, you can get on the right track momentarily. But time to get back on track and moving forward, things will go well. As I said, I really want to see long term results. A couple of days will probably not affect their long-term results much. And you deserve to enjoy the holidays. This is only my opinion, but this approach has worked well for me. If it feels right for you, do not hesitate to do what you think will work best. Give yourself permission to do what works for you both, provided you meet again once the holidays are over.

Honestly, I did not take a few days for me will affect my results. In any case, I kept chugging along so that you can reap the fruits of my labor. For more tips on tips to make easy work of this plan, do not hesitate to visit my free ebook "Getting the most from Medifast" to http://easiest-diet.com/free-medifast-ebook/ html

How to Create Your Own Paleo Eating Plan

 

By Toby Edge

In my experience the most effective long-term solution to weight loss is to eat clean and eat natural ... basically - eat Paleo.

Now, for the uninitiated, Paleo eating simply means eating food that has been touched by human hands. So if you can not swim, fly, walk, or grow, do not touch it.

While Jack Lalanne fitness LEGEND said: "If a man has, do not eat it."

Jack Lalanne was one of the minds of health and fitness on the planet over 90 years or more and a large part of his success came from his insistence on own consumption as possible.

Our system has become overloaded man made artificial food, and this has caused a lot of health problems and weight are suffering. Now, many artificial foods have an important role to play in the world - providing inexpensive solutions to help feed the hungry in the world.

For those looking to lose weight and make healthy lifestyle, however, artificial and processed foods hold only little space on your shopping list.

Now I am a firm believer in the principle 80-20. Frankly, if you are eating well for about 80% of the time you'll be fine. For the other 20%, enjoy and do not worry too much about "diet" or limit the consumption of certain foods.

In general, however, need to focus on certain groups of nutritious foods and delicious that promote weight loss, health and vitality and gives rise to a host of health benefits beyond simple aesthetic pleasures see pounds melt your body.

Therefore, to create their own Paleo diet plan, follow these steps ...

1. Understand what is in the "allowed" list and it is not

In short, the Paleo diet eating the following foods:

• Lean protein
• Fish / Seafood
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Eggs
• Nuts / Seeds
• "good" fats - mainly oil

This is a simple list, but it is full of amazing food. Frankly, I could spend the rest of my life with just dig in various meats, fish, vegetables and fruits, without any problem. I love these foods and rarely depart them unless its part of my own strategy.

2. Shop

Once you know what you can eat and what can not, go fill your pantry with all the nutrients you can find valuable paleo. If you are a foodie, variety is the key here. Store and all kinds of vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, etc. and will be overwhelmed by the number of possible combinations of foods and recipes coming atcha!

3. Find recipes

OK, so you have your meal. Now ask yourself - are you a chef amateur or not? Want to try different recipes or just keep it simple?

Personally, I like to try different foods, but I'm not a great cook. This is why I tend to keep things simple. For example, chicken or fish salad with lots of vegetables and olive oil drissled (extra virgin, of course!) Is one of my favorites.

If you prefer to mix things, to do, then that's even better. Get a variety of colors and combinations in your meals is beneficial to get online, get cookbooks and find ways to make a paleo diet plan that works for you.

4. Preparatory work pays

If you commit to eating paleo prep work becomes a very important factor. Arriving at work and you have not prepared, you may find it to be a little tricky obstacle with a meal paleo face many unhealthy foods move.

Always prepare your meals in advance. Make sure you write your list of meals for the week. To do this, on Sunday and have a direction and a strategy. Then, prepare food for the next afternoon. It may be that lunch if you go home for dinner, but always bring snacks on hand in case you get hungry during the day. Nuts, vegetables such as carrots, Snacky and maybe a chicken breast (good snack in my book) are good ideas.

5. Strategies for its 20% stake

As I said, the survival of an infinite plane is almost impossible for most people, and you know what, it's pretty boring too. Do not worry about the strange madness all the time to jump immediately on the wagon.

The best way to do this is to use a strategy. Provide an unhealthy diet, or a period of abstention during the weekend when you want to relax and take a break from your diet. (Be careful if you are a compulsive eater recovery). This will not only give you some psychological relief, but also boost hormone leptin, which will help you burn fat faster in the coming days.

It is a kind of victory, winning really

6. Stick with it

Habits take time to form so do not expect to find things easy at first, especially if it is a huge departure from their normal eating habits. Most people take the time to fully integrate paleo eating plan in their own lives, so do not worry if you slip on the occasion of their strategy "trap".

When all is said and done, you'll be glad you continued. Not only will you lose weight, but your energy level will increase, you will sleep better, any medical problems that you are likely to improve, and is likely to start walking around with a big smile on his face knowing all the above benefits are in effect!

Toby is a certified personal trainer specializing in fat loss and nutrition specialist. For more information on how to improve your health and lose weight fast, visit his blog at:

http://www.tobyedge.com

For your health!
Toby Edge

If I Work Nights Can I Switch My Nutrisystem Meals Around?

 

By Ava Alderman

I sometimes hear from people who have a specific reason that eating their Nutrisystem meals as intended (and at the intended time) may not be feasible. Many work the overnight or graveyard shift and they eat their dinner when other folks are eating breakfast. Other people perhaps crave more substantial meals for breakfast and lighter meals for dinner. And they are wondering if eating their meals out of the intended order are going to affect their results.

I heard from someone who said "I work at a hospital from 11pm to 7am. So I will generally have a snack at about 3am and I generally eat "breakfast" at around 5am. However that breakfast is generally leftovers from my family's dinner. I have gotten in the habit of eating dinner foods very early in the morning and at breakfast time. When I get off of work, I will go home and sleep until around 3:00pm. Then I wake up and have breakfast foods at that time. When I sit down and eat what my family considers dinner, it is more like my lunch time. Would it be OK if I switched my Nutrisystem meals around in this way and ate them out of order? Does it matter?"

Before I tell you my take on this, I should stress that you can ask any questions of this type to the Nutrisystem counselors. You can even do an online to chat to get immediate answers. With that said, I know plenty of people who use this type of flexibility with the timing of their meals. And they haven't noticed any difference in their results. Their thinking is that as long as you are eating a breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and dessert (as well as the fresh add ins,) you're still taking in the same amount of calories, carbohydrates, and proteins as you other wise would regardless of what time you eat each meal.

For example, in the above example, let's say that this person woke up at 3:00 pm and decided to have one of the Nutrisystem oatmeal meals (with milk for a power fuel and also a dairy side item.) Then, let's say she sat down with her family at dinner time and ate what was theoretically her lunch and choose the diet hot dog with a side of carrot sticks. For her 3 am snack, she might have decided to go with one of the Nutrisystem protein shakes. At around 5:00 am she could have her usual substantial breakfast of the flatbread pizza with an apple. She might go with a dessert of a chocolate cookie. That would take her to the end of her shift where she would go home and sleep until around 3 and then start the cycle all over again. So, in that 24 hour period, she had managed to fit in all of her diet meals, even if they weren't at traditional times.

And yes, she may well have technically had her dinner for breakfast and vice verse. But, she still took in three main meals, a snack, a dessert and all of her side items. Actually, this may have been the same menu she would have chosen if she had a traditional schedule, only she would have had the meals at different times.

Want more tips on being successful on or starting Nutrisystem while saving money? Ava's Nutrisystem Information Website features articles meant to help you evaluate and have success with this diet. There's also a link to a free eBook and the latest coupons to help you get started. You can visit her at http://ava-alderman-weight-loss-articles.com/

Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss: What Makes Intermittent Fasting Different?

 

Intermittent fasting weight loss is one of the most effective ways to shed off your extra pounds. The ideas on intermittent fasting weight loss challenge most of the previously held beliefs on losing. Those who are seeking new ways to lose weight effectively have quickly embraced its ideas.

What is Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss?

Let me start by clarifying that intermittent fasting is not a diet. You are probably tired of trying anything with the word 'diet' on it when it comes to weight loss. Intermittent fasting is a way of eating that involves a structured program on the times when you eat and when you do not eat. You structure your program according to your fancy. If you can handle it, fast for a whole day! I recommend that you fast for 12 full hours before eating a meal. You can increase your fasting period later as you continue with the program.

What Makes it Different?

If you have tried to lose weight, you probably have tried diets such as Atkins diet based on the frequent feeding theory. Simply, proponents of such diets told you to eat often during the day. The idea was that the more you eat, the faster your metabolism. The faster your metabolism, the more fat you will lose. Of course, you do know that the more you ate, the more you wanted to eat and the more your weight remained. When you are on an intermittent program, you will have to cut down your meal frequency. Sometimes, you have to do without breakfast.

Tell Me More

You probably sleep for around 6 to 8 hours. During this time, your body is in fasting mode. When your body is in fasting mode, it usually produces more insulin. More insulin in your body causes your body to have increased insulin sensitivity. When your body has increased insulin sensitivity, you lose more fat. The brilliance of intermittent fasting weight loss program is that you skip breakfast to extend the period of your body's insulin sensitivity. This means that your body is going to be on fat loss mode for a longer period. You will lose more weight.

A longer fasting mode also has a good effect on the Growth hormone levels in your body. By skipping breakfast or eating during a specific period, your body produces Growth hormone. Growth hormone is what you want your body producing when you are trying to lose weight. This is simply because Growth hormone promotes weight loss in your body. When you are on an intermittent fasting weight loss program, your Growth hormone levels are usually at their peak. You will be losing more weight during this period. High Growth hormone levels in your body also have several other health benefits. This program is simply amazing!

Conclusion

Intermittent fasting weight loss program is radically different from most weight loss programs being promoted in the market. However, its ideas are scientifically sound when it comes to losing weight. You should give this program a go if you are serious about weight loss.

Thanks for reading.

How would you like: better control over your hunger, an easy way to lose fat and build lean attractive muscle, increased insulin sensitivity, reduced inflammation, increased growth hormone, a super efficient way of eliminating toxins, the freedom of being able to eat whatever you want without any guilt?

With Intermittent Fasting, all this and more is possible. To find out how, visit my website http://www.intermittentfasting.ie/

Thanks again,

John "The timing of breakfast isn't important" Mulry

I've Got MY Whole Life Riding on This "Paleo Diet"

 

I was amazed at what I found when I read a recent scientific study. The very "Target" of study was the Paleo Diet. The results entail a barrage of Health benefits. Many benefits are of a growing need. Health Benefits such as, improved blood pressure, (which applied to me) at one time I was 190/100, SCARY! Combine that with a Cholesterol Score around 175. My Life hung in a very unpredictable balance.

Needless to say I have family who could gain from a healthy drop in natural insulin secretion, as well as an increase of insulin sensitivity.

And who doesn't want to lower body fat and have Clearer Skin?

So the question becomes, "How can the Paleo Diet directly benefit me"? Aside from eating whole foods high in fiber, low in salt what else is in it for me?

This is a look through the lens from the outside in to understand the mechanics of eating paleo, from a consumer point of view.

Suddenly the answer hit me like a sack of jackfruit. "Maybe I've found the solvent to my own personal Hypertension, and Cholesterol concerns". Have I hit the bulls-eye, or am I missing something?

I am not an expert Paleo Dietician. I am a social media user whom respects Paleo Practices. So what we have here is the sum of what my growing resources and studies are allowing me to display for you at this time. My goal is to help curious onlookers to get valid information from the right places.

Being an avid cyclist, I need lean proteins, natural sugars, fats starches and carbs in a certain Ratio. And the organic nature of hunter diet gatherer makes this nutrition so essential to my metabolism. Matter of fact, I find myself with leftover energy after I have tacked on the miles.

I am now in the habit of eating many small meals a say. So I hover around a diet of Tuna, Salmon, Halibut, Trout, Swordfish. Antibiotic free lean Steaks, Free Range Chicken, Lamb, Turkey and Eggs.

Through small changes in my eating habits suggested in the Paleo Cookbooks. I've been able to carve up some Body fat. Regulate my cholesterol. And Most importantly that Blood pressure number is now looking "Real" good due to some well made decisions.

So I know this could be the answer to a prayer for someone who was on the same road as I.

Find out more about Paleo Diet through Brandon K Clark @ http://www.getpaleobooks.com/

Pure Green Coffee Bean Extract a Proven Science

 

If you are one of the many North Americans who has struggled with being overweight and out of shape then you are aware how many bogus diets and supplements there are on the market. However, more and more people have been finding the natural benefits of pure green coffee bean extract for weight loss. It is highly effective as a weight loss supplement and it doesn't require you to change your diet or routine.

Pure green coffee bean extract has been scientifically proven to help speed weight loss with its natural fat burning effects on the human body. Green Coffee is the coffee bean in its' pure state, prior to roasting, yet dried and processed. Who would have thought that the source of the extract in one of most effective weight loss supplements would have been right there all along? Pure green coffee extract is used in many reliable weight loss products on the market. Its easy to maintain your intake on a daily basis and you will enjoy the benefits of feeling more energetic and healthy. Green coffee beans speed your metabolism as well as helping you to burn away calories. One of the reasons so many are using it is because it is extremely high in valuable antioxidants.

Antioxidants are nutrients in our food which help to slow, prevent and repair oxidative damage to our bodies. Free radicals are a byproduct of our bodies use of oxygen. Antioxidants help control and neutralize the amount of free radicals present in your body. Health problems that can be attributed to by oxidization are cancer, diabetes, heart disease and macular degeneration. Green coffee has also been found to help control the amount of Glucose produced by your body when you eat. It has also been shown to increase metabolism which is extremely important in controlling your weight. If you truly want to burn fat quickly, a high metabolism is required. Not only is it a product that can help you shed weight quickly and easily but pure green coffee extract promotes weight loss to give you the body of your dreams.

The power and benefits of using this extract for weight loss are that you will feel healthier and more energized. One of the great things about this product is that is doesn't require you to change anything in your diet or routine in order to burn fat. This means that you are able to experience noticeable and measurable results without feeling like you are on a diet. Although a diet and exercise are always the best prescription for getting in shape, green coffee bean extract can go a long way towards helping on its' own.

If you are struggling with your weight or you are interested in losing weight with Green coffee bean Extract and its' many health benefits please visit our web site Slimminggreencoffee.com for more great information.

Sabotaging Your Fat Loss Goals? Why Diets Do More Harm Than Good

 

Are you frustrated with dieting and not seeing results? Have you spent most of your life trying every fad and weight loss gimmick on the market, and still have unsightly rolls? By cutting calories and skipping meals in the quest for fat loss, you have turned your body into a perfect fat storing machine. I know, this doesn't sound like it makes sense. Actually, it does to your body. I will give you a brief synopsis of how the internal furnace works in relation to food consumption. Forget calorie restriction as your only means of fat loss. Learn how to change your metabolism with food, and start living a life of more energy with less body fat.

The most important number in your fat loss goal should be your resting metabolic rate. This is also referred to as your BMR. This number is the number that tells us how many calories our body burns while at rest. This number does not take into account any activity at all. Neither does it take into account how certain foods can raise your metabolism. There are actually certain foods that have what is called a "thermogenic effect". This means that to digest these nutrients, your body must rev up your metabolism. Adding in more of these foods, and foods that have a high nutrient quality, can enhance our fat loss goals. Start using the terms "fat loss", and stop using the terms "weight loss". There is a big difference.

The biggest problem with cutting calories and skipping meals is that it brings your metabolism to a screeching halt. When you step on the scale a day or two after barely eating, most people think they see good news. They see that the scale has dropped to a lower number. This is not good, and is not healthy. Yes, you see weight loss, but remember, we want to see fat loss. There are expensive scales out there that have a good record, and maybe you would like to invest in one. These scales show how much of your body is fat, and how much is muscle. What the average scale does not show is where the loss came from. We want fat loss, not water, and definitely not muscle loss. After dieting, and calorie restriction for days on and off, or even years, you are now in the habit of yo-yo dieting. By putting your body in a constant state of starvation, you start to burn muscle for fuel. This keeps your body in balance by slowing down your resting metabolic rate. The idea should be to spare muscle and burn fat. What you want to do is to learn which foods to omit, and which ones to add more of.

Skipping meals is also why people end up making poor food choices when they finally do eat, or even worse, why they end up bingeing. Stop skipping meals, and start eating smaller meals more often. Stop looking for quick fixes that show a lower number on the scale. This is not the way to lifelong fat loss. The first place you will lose weight from by skipping meals is water, then muscle, and if you are lucky, a little bit of fat. The last thing that you would ever want to do is lose muscle. Muscle is the only form of tissue that is metabolically active. This tissue burns calories just to stay alive. Getting back to the idea of foods that enhance your metabolism, this is what I would call "more bang for the buck". Foods high in protein not only burn calories to digest, they keep vital muscle tissue from deteriorating.

Let's get back to the thermogenic effect. The body has a harder time digesting proteins and they take longer to digest. Therefore, proteins are a great source when trying to get your body's metabolism to do some of the work for you. Proteins also keep you fuller, for longer periods of time. They are a great source to add to your diet. Protein is a necessary component in building and repairing muscle tissue. The idea is to eat foods that enhance your metabolism, not slow it down.

Carbohydrates from vegetables and fruits are also great sources of nutrients. These food sources are loaded with fiber, and water. These are two other sources of nutrients that people seem to not get enough of. Eating a plate full of vegetables loaded with fiber can still be less calories than a couple of tablespoons of a fat laden food. Fiber will also keep you full for a long time. Carbohydrates will also give you the energy to start an exercise program. Without energy, we have a lesser chance of ever wanting to be active.

Fats can be a great source that is missing from most dieters plates. There are women everywhere that refuse to eat any source of fat. Fats from healthy sources as in avocados, nuts, nut butters, fish and fish oil supplements are a much needed food source in our diets. There is a direct correlation from our hormones to how our moods are affected, when we are low in essential fatty acids. Foods and supplements from plant based and fish based sources are needed to keep the systems working together. Essential fatty acids can help you with your metabolic needs, keep your heart and brain protected, and make your skin and hair supple.

Now let's put all of this information into a useful plan. The idea is to eat several small meals 3-4 hours apart. Aim for a breakfast of at least 300-400 calories. This meal should kick start your day, as well as your metabolism, and break your fast. Each meal should contain some protein, some healthy carbs and a little bit of healthy fat. Counting every calorie is not necessary. However, eating enough protein is essential. Protein can come from animal and plant sources. You should consume around 1 gram of protein per lean pound of bodyweight to be sure you don't go into a catabolic state. A catabolic state is the worse case scenario and is what happens when you starve your body. Remember skipping meals will force your body to hold onto fat and burn through your much needed muscle tissue. If you are active in weight training you need more protein. Plan your largest meals around your most active parts of your day, not the other way around. Most American diets are loaded with the highest amount of calories in the evening. Eat more earlier in the day, and taper off, unless you plan on working out in the evening.

Consuming a variety of nutrients are the way to fuel the body.The body is quite an amazing machine if we give it what it needs to run properly. You wouldn't drive a car on empty, why would you try to make your body work this way?It simply will not function properly without fuel. The right fuel in the form of a nutrient dense diet is what you need to keep all systems running right. Your metabolic system will work for you, if you feed it often, and feed it what it needs.

To make your body feel and look it's best, add a strength training routine to your nutrition plan. Adding muscle is the next best way to enhance your metabolism after you have fed your body what it needs for energy. Bigger muscles burn more calories, even at rest. Raise your resting metabolism, and never cut calories again.

Looking for easy to follow, cutting edge tips on how to achieve optimal health, and strength? Sign up for my FREE newsletter, by entering your name and e-mail address at:

http://www.constantenergyfitness.com/

Can I Still Have A Normal Dinner With My Family On The Medifast Diet?

 

By Lindsey Price

I sometimes hear from people who are considering Medifast, but who want to do sort of a hybrid plan where they aren't exactly on the plan full time or as it is written. I heard from someone who asked: "I look forward to a family dinner all day long. My kids are school aged. It's very important that we all sit down together as a family and talk about our day. I wouldn't trade this for anything. But I do need to lose weight. Would it be possible to eat the five prepackaged Medifast meals during the day and then just eat a regular family dinner at night? Would I still lose weight if I did this?"

Before I try to answer this question based on what is only my opinion, I'd encourage you to direct any question straight to the company itself. With that said, I'll try to answer this question as best as I can in the following article.

Consider Eating Your Lean And Green Meal When Your Family Has A Regular Dinner: I completely understood the concerns that this woman had. I had the exact same concerns. But I learned pretty quickly that it was easy to make a lean and green meal out of what my family was already eating. You probably already know this, but in addition to your five diet meals, you're supposed to have a larger meal that you provide. It's called the lean and green meal and it's only real requirements are that it have lean protein and three servings of vegetables.

Yes, my family consumes more vegetables as the result of this, but this makes me very happy. It hasn't hurt any of us. So before this woman just gave up on the idea of staying on the diet as it's designed, I suggested that she consider just trying to have the lean and green at her family's dinner time. You can still have those important conversations and that bonding time even if your plate doesn't consist of exactly the same items as the rest of your family. Keep in mind that since the prepackaged meals are so low in calories, you generally have around 600 calories left for your main meal. This allows you to have a pretty decent sized plate so that you shouldn't feel like things are much different from how they have always been.

Now, I do realize that some people will worry that they will cheat or overeat if people around them aren't dieting. This is a valid concern for many. The other option is to eat your lean and green meal for breakfast or lunch and to eat one of the prepackaged meals for dinner if you feel that you might cheat otherwise.

Finally, I do know some who have still had some success on the type of situation that this woman described.

Frankly, because you are eating diet meals for the rest of the day, you will still be taking in far fewer calories and carbs even if you are eating a regular dinner. (Keep in mind though that by skipping your lean and green meal, you aren't learning how to make healthful and safe meals on your own, which is where this meal is so helpful.) With that said, it's very common that when the pounds start coming off, you begin eating healthfully on your own because you don't want to do anything to jeopardize the results that you're seeing.

So to answer the question posed, no one is going to stop you from a hybrid type of plan. And although I can't say for sure, I'd suspect that you would still lose weight because you'd be taking in fewer calories than is what is typical of you, but of course this is just a guess. I'd still suggest trying to have your lean and green at dinner and seeing if you could make that work. Because countless people do this and it only requires for you to make minimal changes to still enjoy dinner with your family.

If you'd like more information on making this diet fit in with your lifestyle, check out the free ebook "Getting The Most Out Of Medifast,". To get a free copy (with immediate download and no information required),  click here  or visit http://easiest-diet.com/free-medifast-ebook/html

Benefits of Eating Japanese Goya

 

By Tulugaq N Bean

There is a reason why the Okinawan Diet is so popular. Beyond being one of the reasons why people of Okinawa are said to have the longest lifespans in the world, food eaten by native Okinawans such as Mozuku seaweed and Goya packed full with valued added nutrition.

What is Goya?

Goya is bitter melon in Japanese. Although highlighted in the diet of Okinawa, it is not uncommon to be eaten in most parts of Japan. Unlike other fruits you are used to eating it comes with a peculiar bitterness, hence the name bitter melon.

Goya Health Benefits

Goya among being a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B2, and dietary fiber, gives you Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) that can be found sold in most diet supplement stores like your local GNC.

CLA is said to aid in fat loss especially important when you are trying to lose weigh on a diet. Like other fat burning foods, all you have to do is incorporate it in your diet to reap all the benefits.

You will find more information regarding the pros and cons of CLA in your diet in another article. The purpose of this article is to let you know it's there and that it may help you lose body fat.

Sources of Conjugated Linoleic Acid

Three sources come to mind when trying to get CLA in your diets which include the following:

- Kangaroo Meat

- CLA Capsules

- Goya

- Other notable sources of CLA

I think you would agree that the eating goya is the most preferable way to get CLA in your diet.

Although available in areas near Australia, chances are that kangaroo is not available in your area. On top of that, what you will find is that there are other sources of CLA than eating kangaroo.

CLA capsules may seem like a way to go but when it comes down to it, you don't want to be paying top dollar for a pill when there are natural sources out there that can be easily incorporated in cooking.

Goya in my opinion is the way to go. Not only do you know where the CLA is coming from (assurance that it isn't just being made in a lab somewhere synthetically).

There is more than one way to getting goya with your diet such as eating goya whole, taking goya tablets, or drinking goya tea.

Read more on the Goya Diet

http://slism.com/diet/bitter-melon-diet.html

Diets Don't Work - The Science Behind The Failure

  By Sam Ray Smith

 

Dieting is an issue that affects millions of people worldwide. In fact I bet there's not one person reading this that doesn't know somebody who's currently on a diet or has been on one in the past. I can also bet that everybody reading knows of somebody who's been dieting for most their life, the reason for this; diets don't work! This isn't just an opinion; it's backed up with strong scientific evidence and a reasoning that makes perfect sense. The idea of this article is to educate people as to why diets are completely and utterly detrimental to their fat loss goals.

First of all it is important to define exactly what a diet is. If you're on a diet, it implies that you are undergoing a period of time where you consume a harshly low amount of calories, normally with the intentions of losing body fat. So by definition, diets are temporary. This is the first major problem. Weight that is lost from dieting is almost always put back on when the diet has ceased. This process is known as yo-yo dieting and there will be a separate article explaining exactly what this term refers to. For now I'm going to look at the reasons why diets fail.

When people diet they make the obvious mistake of drastically reducing their calorie intake, hoping this will result in the loss of body fat. Essentially people starve themselves to lose fat. This will not work. You might be sitting there, having done this yourself, and disagree with me as you managed to lose weight when you tried this approach in the past; and I'm not going to call you a liar and deny you lost weight. Anytime you restrict your calorie intake you will lose weight BUT the majority of that weight loss will not come from fat. So if your only criterion for success is weight loss, and you don't care whether that comes from fat or muscle then by all means starve yourself to 'success'. However if fat loss is your goal, and it should be for a number of health related reasons, then it's time to wise up to diets and realise they are not right for you. The Science:

The Human Body is Too Clever: over millions of years the human body has evolved to cope with times where there have been shortages of food, leading to a reduction in calorie consumption. When your body senses a shortage of calories, it enters the aptly named 'Starvation Mode' to prevent you from living off all your reserves and effectively eating yourself to death. The big problem for dieters is that your body assumes that dieting is starvation, it cannot tell the difference. When your body enters starvation mode is elicits a starvation response. The only way you can prevent your body from entering starvation mode is to avoid a drastic reduction in calories, i.e. avoid dieting.

Consequences of Starvation Mode: So we've established that drastic dieting will force your body to go into a starvation response, and you will only need to reduce your calorific intake by 20% a day for this to happen. For the average woman this means a reduction of 400-500kcal a day and a total intake of roughly <1400kcal. Not that much of a reduction is it? Now it should be clear why so many people suffer from this. Essentially the problem with a drastic reduction in calorie intake and subsequent starvation response lies with the consequent effect on your metabolism. When calories are cut the body will accommodate for this by slowing down its metabolism (via decreased activity of thyroid hormone T3). So, if you eat less, your body will burn less. In some cases resting metabolism has been shown to slow by up to 40% when there is a severe calorie restriction. This is the reason why it becomes increasingly more difficult to lose weight on a diet. You will get that 2-week period where weight seems to be dropping off you, but this will slow as your metabolism slows until you can almost eat nothing and still find it impossible to lose weight. Sound familiar? If you truly want to lose body fat you have to increase your metabolism, and if you truly want to do that you have to eat more. The more you eat, the more you burn.

Further to the slowing of your metabolism, your body will want to store any fat it consumes and burn the muscle. 'Why would your body do this?' Well 1g of fat contains roughly 9kcal of energy, 1g of muscle contains roughly 4kcal. If your body is in starvation mode and assumes that not enough energy will come from the diet, it will store the most energy rich substrate available, this happens to be fat. At this point your body is storing the fat and what little weight you are losing is coming from your lean muscle mass, still sound like a good idea?

As well as the above there is another unhelpful consequence of the starvation response. Your body uses a massive number of enzymes in the body, all of which catalyse different reactions. The main enzyme involved in the fat storage is LPL (lipoprotein lipase). When your body elicits a starvation response, the activity of LPL is greatly increased. This in turn causes the action of fat burning enzymes to decrease. Adding further explanation to the increased storage of body fat when people diet. You may end up weighing less, but you will have an increased body fat percentage. I know which one I'd rather.

So if you want to lose body fat, and keep it off, you have to give up dieting and ultimately accept that the whole concept is fatally flawed. However there are ways to burn body fat and keep it that way... this series of articles will cover the methods and help you burn fat safely and effectively, and reach the goals you want.

If your still not convinced then answer me this, why do cases of obesity continue to rise when there are more diet programs in use now than ever before?

For information, pictures, and videos of Functional Fitness Training please visit Rigs Fitness: http://www.rigsfitness.co.uk. The home of Functional Training in the UK.

Diets Don't Work: How To Effectively Lose Body Fat

 

By Sam Ray Smith

Up to now I've only covered the reasons why dieting fails so many people looking to lose body fat. It's now time to discuss the ways in which you can lose body fat safely and effectively and keep it that way! The first thing is to do is to completely eradicate the notion of a diet from your thinking. From now on you don't go on a diet, your diet has to be consistently healthy for your lifetime. It becomes a lifestyle change that sticks with you. This may seem like a daunting task, but I assure you once you get over the initial adaptation it will just as hard to stop eating healthy, as it is to start now.

Your body will adapt to the change you put on it and not only that, you will start to feel better; I guarantee you will want to keep eating healthy. To do this you need to change the way you think, the power of your own suggestion is one that has full control over your actions. The more you think about eating healthy and the benefits that come with, the more your subconscious will see it as the norm. This will form a habit, and once you've reached this stage it will be very hard to go back. I will cover exactly what a healthy balanced diet consists of in my next series of articles. However having a healthy diet is only one variable that factors into losing body fat. It is important and acts as a solid platform to launch your fat loss mission from.

If you want to lose body fat, think lean! Lean mass burns more body fat at rest when compared with fat mass. Simply put, the more lean mass you have the more calories you burn. There is some debate as to exactly how many more calories are burnt from lean mass but the underlying fact is that a higher percentage of lean mass is directly correlated with a higher basal metabolic rate (calories you burn at rest). Increasing your muscle mass will involve some strength training but don't worry you can design your program so that you don't necessarily have to increase your size/shape. It will simply have the effect of changing that doughy region of your physique to a more toned region. If your goal is to increase muscle mass then this is possible too, however it is not always easy to do this at the same time as losing fat mass. Again I will cover this in a future article.

Never drop below a minimum calorie deficit! As I have discussed in previous articles, dropping your calorie intake too low will cause your body to elicit a starvation response, an event that is counterintuitive if you want to lose body fat; remember you want to keep your muscle not burn it for energy. So set yourself a minimum calorie deficit and never drop below it. This can be worked out roughly as 22% below you maintenance level calorie intake. A very rough equation is to multiply your body weight in kg by 25 then subtract 22%. Keeping your calorie intake above this level will ensure you don't experience a starvation response. You do however need to ensure you exhibit a calorie deficit to some extent. This is a basic rule of physiology. To lose mass you need to expend more than you intake. I recommend that you reduce your calorie intake by no more than 15% below maintenance for the first two weeks. However there is another way you can create a calorie deficit. Burn more calories from exercise than you consume from food.

Exercise to create a calorie deficit! If you can always chose to eat more and do more. These two things will not counteract each other. Exercising will not only burn calories, it will give you added physiological benefits and will never cause your body to go into starvation mode. Your body will only demonstrate a starvation response if you fail to consume enough calories, never if you burn off too many through exercise. If you exercise and eat more you get the double effect of increasing your metabolism by increasing lean muscle mass and by increasing the amount you consume. It turns your body into a fat burning furnace. So this is not an invitation to exercise and reduce your caloric consumption. If you burn the calories by exercising you should eat more; and still lose body fat. Different modes of exercise will have differing effects on your body's caloric expenditure, however they will all leads to the same goal.

Increase your meal frequency! During hyper-energetic periods, (when you are burning a lot calories via exercise), increasing your meal frequency will act to preserve lean body mass. Not only this, increased meal frequency will have a positive effect on various blood markers of health; LDL Cholesterol, Total Cholesterol and Insulin to name but a few. Finally, increasing your meal frequency will help to decrease hunger pangs and improve your appetite control. Now before you think that I'm suggesting you eat 6 big meals a day, I'm not. What I mean by increasing your meal frequency is spreading your total calorie intake over a greater number of meals. Instead of eating 3 big meals a day, eat 5-6 but reduce the calorie intake per meal, this way you will still be eating the same amount of calories per day. Ideally you should be looking to eat every 3 hours. This will prevent you being in a negative calorie balance for any extended period of time and will keep your metabolism burning as high as possible. Think of it as 'stoking the fire', the fuel being body fat!

So hopefully you now know how to attack your body fat goals and make sure you don't get sucked into the dieting culture that has swallowed so many wanting to lose fat. The key idea to take from this is to make sure you don't stay in a negative calorie balance and force your body into a starvation response. Keep a healthy balanced diet that never drops below your maximum calorie deficit and use exercise to metabolise the fat!

Finally, what to do if your fat loss plateaus! This can be a very common part of trying to lose body fat. Your initial fat loss will be great but it will begin to slow as you body adapts to the changes your putting upon it, it's an effect of homeostasis (one of the wonders of the human body). If this happens, do not start to reduce your calories further. As you should know by now, this will only see to put your body into starvation mode. Instead, eat more. As odd as this might sound it will work. Going through a period of increased calorific intake will spike your metabolism and re-ignite the fat burning fire (be sure to only increase your calorie intake for no more than a 24 hour period). This method is known as 'zig-zagging' and is very affective at overcoming plateaus.

For more information, pictures, and videos of effective weight loss and Functional Fitness Training please visit Rigs Fitness: http://www.rigsfitness.co.uk. The home of Functional Training in the UK.

Does a Gluten Free Diet Work for Weight Loss?

 

By Trevor M Hall

What is gluten?

Gluten is a type of complex protein. Unlike other common proteins, gluten mostly occurs in certain carbohydrates. Wheat, rye etc are rich in gluten. Gluten is an essential component of any bread. It is the reason why bread rises and gains a chewy texture. Gluten makes the bread stretchy.

What foods are rich in gluten?

Though gluten is most commonly found in wheat, there are many other foods which contain significant quantities of gluten. Some examples are as follows:

• Since gluten is one of the main ingredients in wheat, all products containing wheat are rich sources of wheat. These include all breads, cakes, pasta, cookies, doughnuts, flour, spaghetti, biscuits, waffles, bagels and many more.



• Apart from wheat, few other cereals also contain significant quantities of gluten. These include grains like barley and farina.



• In foods which do not naturally contain gluten, it is added for a number of purposes. Gluten is a thickening agent and used widely in sauces, ice creams, puddings and gravy.



• Almost all refined and processed foods contain gluten. Examples include pizza, salami, sausages, soups, chips, hamburger etc.

So, you can see that gluten is a very common component in many common foods. If you are thinking of adopting a gluten free diet, then you should know that you may have to do without some of your favorite foods.

What gluten free foods can you include in your diet?

• The list of foods containing gluten is a long one. So, if you are considering a diet free of gluten, you need to know what foods you can include in your daily diet.



• Though gluten is commonly found in cereals, it is not present in every cereal. Rice, quinoa, amaranth, millets etc are excellent gluten free alternatives.



• Yams, potatoes, arrowroot, sorghum etc are good sources of starch free of gluten.



• Fresh fruits and vegetables do not contain gluten and so can be easily included in your diet.



• Lean animal proteins are also free of gluten. However, they should not be breaded which adds gluten to the preparation.



• Nuts and legumes can be eaten in a no gluten diet.



• Finally, in recent days, gluten free breads, biscuits, cereals and desserts have been introduced in the market. However, in many cases, though they are labeled free of gluten, they do contain a small quantity of gluten.

How can gluten free diet help in weight loss?

Though people from various walks of life say that gluten free diet is ideal for weight loss, it requires some in depth analysis before you switch to such a diet. Here are some points that you should consider:

• According to the American dietetic association, there is no proven gluten free diet for weight loss. Little research has been made in this connection. So, there are no statistical data to prove or disprove no gluten for weight loss.



• Some people suffer from gluten intolerance and gluten allergy. They have to eat a gluten free diet in order to stay fit and in good health. An extreme form of gluten related disorder is the celiac disease. This is a form of immune disorder where the intestine cannot absorb the nutrition which is present in the food that you eat. Celiac disease is aggravated by gluten intake.



• Apart from the people who are suffering from intolerance and other similar disorders, gluten probably plays an indirect role in weight loss. If you examine the list of gluten rich foods, you will see that they are also high in calories and sugar which lead to weight loss. So, if you avoid gluten rich foods, you are actually avoiding processed foods which add a lot of needless calories to your diet. As a result, you will obviously lose weight.



• A few studies have been conducted. They reveal that if you go on a no gluten diet, you are actually opting for healthier food choices. As a result, you may lose an average of 15 to twenty pounds of your body weight at the end of the first month of your gluten free diet.



• According to one research, no matter how tall you are, eating gluten rich foods continuously will make you heavier and bulkier.



• While scientific evidence of no gluten for weight loss is still being collected, there are a number of conclusive studies which show that overweight people who are suffering from celiac disease enjoy definite benefit from a diet free of gluten. A clear trend of weight loss can be seen in them.



• The fact is that gluten itself is not causing any significant increase in your weight. So, eliminating gluten is not likely to have a severe impact on your weight. However, the gluten rich foods also tend to be rich in salt, fats and calories. So, when you avoid them consistently, a noticeable difference is seen in your weight.



• You need to be careful about what foods you choose to replace the gluten rich food that you are eliminating from your diet. These free of gluten substitutes actually may contain higher calories. At the same time, replacing wheat cereals with refined cereals may affect your nutrition because these are often not enriched with added nutrition. In these cases, a diet free of gluten will not be helpful for you in losing weight.



• In fact, except in celiac, gluten free diet exercises little direct influence on weight. But, it does have a lot of indirect influence. So, if you can stick to gluten free healthy alternatives for long time, you are bound to notice a loss in weight.