Weigh Your Portions for Weight Loss

As a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist my goal is to help you live your life the healthiest. My focus is to help you create goals and accomplish them. I hope my past articles have helped you to identify the food groups: protein, carbohydrates (fruit, vegetables, grains and dairy), and fat. Vitamins minerals, fiber and water, are not considered food groups but they contribute necessary building blocks for our bodies. This is primary education necessary to create a healthy food plan. I am assuming you can identify these nutrients every time you eat and drink. Knowing the number of portions of each of these food groups is the next step in creating your eating plan. This article will focus on portion education.

My first word of advice concerns labeling on packages, which can be very misleading. I would like you to make a habit of looking at the ingredients first. You need to know the order of ingredients gives you the amount of each ingredient. So if you see sugar, fructose, maltose, beet sugar, dextrose, disaccharide, galactose, glucide, pentose, polysaccharide, xylose, sucrose, honey, sucralose, corn syrup, cane sugar or any word beginning with gluco, glycol or sacchar be aware if they are listed in the beginning there is a larger amount added.

Next, it is a good habit to read the ingredients and be able to identify them by food groups and nutrients. If there are many chemicals and additives that don't fall into a nutrient category then please understand they are there for the manufacturers benefit and their profit margin. Stabilizers, and or sugar and salt, keep processed foods from spoiling therefore not needing to be replaced.

Next, how many ingredients are found that you cannot identify. Chemicals not nutrients!!! These two exercises should eliminate many common choices.

After this the next important assessment has to do with serving sizes. Serving sizes also benefit the manufacturer not the consumer. Serving sizes are very different than portions. My favorite example is pasta. Let's look at the nutrition label. The serving size of 2 oz. (1/4 cup) can be found after calories. 2 oz. dry pasta cooks up double to 4oz or ½ cup. The average serving in a restaurant is closer to 2 or 3 cups. That is 4-6 portions of pasta.

Next please consider fat. Our bodies need fat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are beneficial for many reasons. These fats work to lower LDL cholesterol, they are included as building blocks for hormones released by our brains, and necessary for our eyes, hair and insulation. Trans fats are included for manufacturing profit lines, certainly not beneficial for our health. Saturated fats are found in animal products, beef, fish, poultry, pork, eggs, milk and cheese. These food products also contain calcium, iron, vitamin b-12, vitamin D, and other beneficial nutrients. If saturated fat is no more than 5-10% of your total daily fat intake you will again eliminate many products you might have chosen. Snack bars and cereals are good examples. Just because the manufacturers label have the words healthy, and whole grain, on the front package don't be mislead---look at the ingredients. Remember, the first listed ingredients are the largest quantities added, and please check out the saturated fat.

Next please look at the calories and serving size. I have seen snack bars with 500 calories and cereals of ¼ cup serving size having 400 calories. There are many snack bars, breads, yogurts and cereals that have excellent high standards set by their manufacturers, and I highly recommend them.

So how are portions determined? There are many suggested guidelines using measuring tools or your hand, a golf ball, a tennis ball, your check book, or computer mouse. Just like other aspects of nutrition, number of portions for each food group is customized by each individual's goals. Weight loss, gain, maintenance, medications, disease states (diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, hypertension, cholesterol mgte, etc.)are the determining factors to customize your plan. That's where my work begins. After initial consultation a plan is determined including portion control.

There is so much misleading information. Our population is becoming increasingly unhealthy and obese. I chose to write this article to enlighten and encourage everyone to become their own adversary to improve their health. Knowledge is power!

Diet and Weight Loss Rules

Like every other area of your life, weight loss has a few rules. The rules you must follow will depend on your weight loss goals. For instance, if you need to lose ten pounds within the next twelve months the rules you set would be reasonably lax. However, if you wanted to lose those ten pounds to fit into your little black dress for a special occasion in three months, the rules will be quiet different, and much more stringent.

RULE #1

The first obstacle or rule you will need to master is motivation. We've all read about someone who has a beautiful dress they wanted to wear, but it was six sizes to small. She hung that dress up in the room so that she could see it again, and again. Each time her eyes fell on that dress, she was more determined to lose the weight. Well, that lovely dress can fail to be the motivation you need to stick with the diet and exercise regimen. Instead of it motivating you, it might become a stumbling block by reminding you how far you have to go to reach your goal. If that is the case for you, put it in the back of the closet and pull it out only when you get really close to you goal. In fact you may find packing away all your "to small" clothes for now and enjoy the feel of those that fit well today. As time passes and those clothes become loose, you will feel really good.

RULE #2

The next obstacle to overcome is the cravings we have for certain foods. We all are familiar with the rule about junk food and the diet. I'm a junk food "Junkie", and have been ever since I began making my own money and could buy chocolate whenever my taste called for it. The idea of giving it up completely depressing. The idea is not to deprive yourself of pleasure foods but to learn how to eat them in moderation. You might want to add a new rule in there: Chocolate (or whatever your favorite junk food is) after a certain goal is reached. That could be a good way to motivate yourself, you need to take control of those cravings, one day at the time.

RULE #3

What about carbs and fats? As you plan your diet, do not completely ignore any food groups. Some diet programs insist on no fats or carbs. That isn't good. The body needs carbs, fats and protein. I have trouble with protein cause I don't like meats. I just don't like the texture, but I do understand that my body needs it, so I find other ways to get protein. What I'm saying is don't deprive your body of the nutrients it needs and thereby run the risk of damaging your health.

FINAL THOUGHT

We've touched on a few rules for losing weight. No matter what the rule may be you are going to have some trouble following them along the way, just don't become discouraged even if it takes you longer to reach your goal. Just keep on going at it. Remember: When eating foods you crave, moderation is the key. We can't eat a pound of chocolate and nothing else and expect to lose weight, it will be hard but just try a bite of chocolate and let the rest of the food for the day be nutritious, good for you and for your body.

Healthy Weight Loss

In the short run coming up to the summer months it may be tempting to go on a crash-diet. However, research shows that quick-fix, low-calorie diets do not work in the long-term. Low-calorie diets can cause the metabolism to actually slow down which can cause you to pile on the pounds once you start eating properly again.

It is important to embark on a healthy weight loss diet so that you can lose and maintain your weight in the long-term. We need to have a healthy balanced diet to maintain muscle in order to lose fat. The following are tips for a healthy weight loss diet:

1. Eat a balanced diet: you need protein to build and maintain muscle to lose weight, carbohydrates for energy, fruit and veg for vitamin intake, minerals, fibre and healthy fats.

2. Buy Whole foods rather than processed food: unprocessed foods are healthier, nutritious and cheap that processed foods. They also allow you to have more control over what you put into your meals.

3. Eat plenty of protein: as mentioned proteins help the body to build and maintain muscle, which is needed to lose weight. You should aim to eat 1g protein per pound of body-weight per day to achieve the optimum amount of muscle whilst working out.

4. Use supplements: If you feel you are still not getting enough nutrients with you healthy weight loss diet, then supplements are a great way to ensure you achieve this, try fish oil and multi-vitamins.

5. Keep away from sugar! Sugar is addictive and is the main ingredient in most junk foods. The sugar raises the amount of dopamine (chemical) that drives the need for pleasure; foods, drugs, sex. As you eat more sugar you need more to obtain a level of dopamine satisfaction. Thus, sugar is addictive and can be damaging for your healthy weight loss diet. A tip to help withdrawal symptoms from dopamine is to exercise. Exercise also releases the chemical into the brain, so you will have more impulse control over food.

Losing weight is not easy; it can be long road to recovery for a lot of people who have emotional eating habits. It takes will power and a determination to succeed, but the benefits of being healthier and slimmer far outweigh the weight loss journey. The secret to maintain a healthy weight is to eat a healthy balanced diet. So ditch the yo-yo diet!

3 Step Weight Loss Detox

A weight loss detox works similar to a colon cleanse and helps your body lose weight for good. This is simply because excess waste is stored as excess weight. Weight loss detox supplements and diet are similar to colon cleanse supplements and diet. Both allow your body to naturally shed extra waste. This can result in natural and healthy weight loss.

A weight loss detox has three essential steps if you want results. They include a detox diet, supplements and the right kind of exercise. They work together to help your body detox and cleanse.

A healthy detox diet is a healthy diet that consists mainly of fresh produce. The easiest way to incorporate this is to eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables through the day as you can. They provide nutrients such as essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs every day.

Raw fruits and vegetables work best. These have natural fiber that helps clear intestinal waste as well as stimulate digestion. Each fruit and vegetable has a unique nutrients count and even natural vitamin and mineral water. You body needs this nutrition to help flush waste during your weight loss detox.

Also part of a healthy detox diet are lean, unprocessed proteins and whole grains. Check out vegetarian proteins as well as healthy, lean meats, poultry and fish. Also try to avoid junk foods, sweets and limit processed foods.

Supplements to include may start with your typical colon cleansing supplements such as fiber and herbs to support liver and intestinal function. Together with the right diet, they can expedite the removal of unwanted waste and weight.

To make your cleanse into a real weight loss detox, you may want to include supplements that stimulate metabolism and accelerate your body's fat burning abilities. These may include L-carnitine, cayenne pepper or even super green powders.

You can also include detox drinks that help your body flush fat and waste. There are quite a few combinations and finding what works for your body is the best way to do this. It also helps to know what your body needs. Some drinks include green ice tea, fresh grapefruit juice or lemon water.

The right exercise should be a little lighter during your detox. This is because cleansing your body utilizes quite a bit of energy. Strenuous exercise may slow your natural cleansing process while creating toxins such as lactic acid buildup in muscle tissue.

Try lighter exercise during your weight loss detox such as bike riding, fast walking or rebounding (jumping on an exercise trampoline). These types of lighter exercise stimulate blood flow to help carry oxygen throughout your body. It can also help move your lymphatic system, which is a type of circulatory system that removes toxins from tissues, fat and all other areas of your body.

Each of these three steps work together to help you create your own weight loss detox; detox diet, colon cleansing supplements and exercise. And to keep it geared toward weight loss, find those extra supplements and detox drinks to help your body naturally and easily shed the excess waste that can add excess weight.

Cindy is a Certified Nutritional Counselor and Colon Therapist. Learn more about a weight loss detox at her website and see how a colon cleanse can help you look and be your best.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_Papp

Weight Loss Drinks - 9 Healthy Drinks for Losing Weight

A lot of people pay attention to the foods they eat when they want to lose weight but they don't pay attention to the things they drink. There are a lot of weight loss drinks that can help you reduce your daily calorie intake dramatically. The scientific researches show that a fifth of our daily calorie intake comes from the drinks we drink and that is a huge reason why we should chose them carefully. The right liquids can suppress your appetite and stimulate the metabolism which can be the difference between losing those unwanted pounds and not losing weight at all.

Water

When you think about a healthy weight loss drinks the first it comes to mind is plain clean water. It contains zero calories and you should drink about 8 to10 cups a day. Not only that but you can actually lose some calories by drinking ice cold water. That's because your body needs to warm the water before it starts processing it. The scientific studies show that you can burn somewhere between 250 - 300 calories from cold water.

Lemonade

If you get bored and you want to try something else than water - try making a lemonade. Squeeze a half of a lemon or add a slice of lemon to your water but remember - DO NOT ADD SUGAR. Moreover, the lemonade provides a lot of health benefits - aids in decreasing dehydration, cleans the liver and promotes better digestion and metabolism. There are also high levels of vitamin C in lemons so that gives you an extra boost of your immune system which makes the lemonade a great weight loss drink.

Juices from fruits and vegetables

Every fresh squeezed juice from vegetables and fruits are great for you. You can hear a lot of controversial statements about juices. They are claimed as a high calorie drinks which can contain a lot of sugar. However, that sugar is a natural fruit sugar which your body needs. Moreover, those juices are filled with fibers, vitamins and nutrients. Juice from carrots, blackberries, watermelon and many other fruits and vegetables are great beverages which can be awesome in the hot summer.

Shakes

When it comes to shakes don't drink the ones from the bars and restaurants - that's a big NO-NO! They add sugars, ice cream and other stuff that you want to avoid. If you prepare them at home, however, that changes everything. Low fat milk and fresh fruits - that is definitely a YES! Shakes are refreshing and can be very nutritious.

Fat Low Milk

Milk is a great source of calcium which in resent researches has shown that it can contribute to the weight loss. However, you would want to drink only low fat milk. Milk also contains protein, many vitamins and minerals which makes it a great drink and you should definitely include it in your diet plan.

Yogurt

It has the same benefits as the low fat milk. You can add some water to the yogurt so that it can be drinkable. Why not add some ice? Yogurt contains lots of calcium which, as I mentioned before, can help in the weight loss process. Yogurt is also a nutritious product and can kill your appetite so I really recommend you add this drink to your weight loss diet!

Green Tea

Green tea is a great beverage with lots of benefits. Studies have shown that it can improve cholesterol levels, boost metabolism, increase fat oxidation and many, many other. You can also drink it cold in the summer and you can add some lemon in it for flavor. It is also a great source of caffeine but be careful - too much caffeine can make you nervous.

Black Coffee

The best weight loss drink is the black coffee (no sugar, no milk). A cup of black coffee gives you zero amount of calories which is the best option for a weight loss drink. It is basically a calorie-free beverage, so you can enjoy it without feeling guilty about it. Moreover the coffee contains antioxidants, which can fight free radicals that roam through your body and threaten your health.

Coconut water

Scientists have discovered that coconut water can help you with the weight loss process. The pure coconut water consumption boosts your metabolism and helps you with the unwanted pounds. The tropical cultures know about its benefits and they have been using it for centuries. The coconut water has also a diuretic effect which helps for cleaning toxins of your body.

You should always consider what you are drinking when you are on a weight loss diet! However, without a good weight loss diet all of your efforts in the gym might go to waste!

Two Great Weight Loss Salads for the Desk Job Workers

Thai Beef Salad

This is a great salad. It's fresh, light and packed with flavour. If you're feeling s little adventurous, and you want to go and find it, adding some raw vegetables to it like pea and apple eggplant, cabbage and snake beans, best found in Asian markets.

150gm piece of eye fillet or scotch fillet

Oyster sauce and sweet soy sauce

2 stems of spring onions, sliced thinly

1 Lebanese cucumber cut in half and sliced thinly lengthways

6 - 8 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ bunch mint

½ bunch coriander

1 stick of lemongrass sliced finely

1 red chilli, julienned

100gm crushed peanuts

2 tbsp roasted rice (optional)

For the dressing:

Juice of two limes

Fish sauce to taste

Sweet chilli sauce

Chilli powder - optional

2 tbsp white sugar

Rub beef with oyster and sweet soy, leave for around 10 mins then sear in a hot pan till medium rare or to your liking and rest. Mix remainder of salad ingredients together and set aside. Slice beef thinly and add to salad.

For the dressing, mix ingredients together in a bowl. The taste should be hot, sweet, salty, and sour. I have deliberately left the amounts up to you, as everyone has their own tastes.

Again, if you're preparing it for a next day, make sure you don't dress it till you need to eat it. It's the freshness of this salad, as with most, that is most important.

For the roasted rice, roast half a cup of glutinous rice in a dry pan over moderate heat till golden brown. Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder, or a mortar and pestle. The rice gives it a unique texture, and will keep well in an airtight container. If you decide to use raw vegetables for a condiment, cut apple eggplant into ¼'s, break up cabbage, and cut snake beans into 2 cm lengths, whilst leaving pea eggplants whole. The raw vegetable provides a good balance to the dish. But you don't need them if you're taking to work.

Roast Kingfish with Strawberry and Almond Salad

Believe it or not, the flavour combinations in this salad work quite well. You could alternatively, poach the fish, in a light vegetable stock with aromatics.

1 180gm piece of kingfish or any firm white fleshed fish

Olive oil for cooking

¼ punnet strawberries, quartered

½ cup mint shredded

¼ cup dill tips

2 tbsp pine nuts toasted

100gm crumbled goat's cheese

1 cup watercress

¼ of a red onion finely sliced

1 spring onion finely sliced

1 tbsp black sesame seeds

Dressing:

30ml balsamic vinegar

50ml olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat an oven to 200°C. In a hot pan place Kingfish skin down and season with salt and pepper. Allow to brown slightly and place in oven. Cook for around 7 minutes, the turn over and leave in oven till cooked. Remove from oven and rest. Mix salad ingredients together. If you're taking to work the next day, keep fish separate so you can reheat. For poaching fish: Get a good quality vegetable stock, such as Campbell's stocks. Heat in a pot, and add a couple of bay leaves, a sprig of thyme, a shallot, some peppercorns and a little salt. Bring to the boil, and then simmer. Add fish and simmer till cooked through, but not falling apart.

Learn What Foods to Eat for Weight Loss Quick, Easy and Healthy

So do you feel like you, "are what you eat"? This could be a good or bad thing but it really doesn't matter if it's meat, fried foods, potatoes, french fries, chocolate or cake your body takes the form of what you're putting in it. If you think about it does make sense and you should keep this in mind every time you eat. It's definitely not a bad thing to enjoy what you eat but moderation is key.

There's no issue enjoying the foods you like on your diet plan but you have to keep in mind that some foods will help you lose weight and others aid in weight gain. If you're interested in what foods to eat for weight loss then it's important to eliminate the food that increases weight.

Here's a good idea for you to limit how much you eat over a meal. Go with a cold soup as a great alternative low calorie meal. Broths are a good idea before a meal. A positive is consuming low calorie soups prior to a meal is that it's an excellent method to reduce overeating foods that tend to cause you to add extra pounds. Another good thing is that having a low calorie soup/broth before your meal is that it can actually provide you with a sense of fullness so you don't end up eating as much. If you're drinking a good amount of water and having a light broth before you eat that's a key secret many trying to lose weight don't take advantage of.

It's important to realize that there is no single food that serves as the perfect diet food no matter how much hype you read about. The important thing is if you know the difference between which foods promote losing weight and which contribute to weight gain. If you can distinguish the two you're half way there. You need to identify these foods in your diet to make better decisions on your diet. It's not a bad idea to analyze your regular foods and list them as weight losers or weight gainers and then adjust your diet from there.

A snack that's great for weight loss are carrots due to its low calorie but high nutritional content such as vitamins A, C, beta carotene and fiber. Due to the fiber it fills you up preventing you from eating more than you should. Carrots are even more nutritious when cooked but make sure not to overcook them if you do. With raw carrots the cellular walls are tough and harder on the digestive system. Go ahead and try to steam them a bit before you eat them, it's not too bad. Steaming vegetables will keep the nutrition value but help in digestion. If you get creative you could even steam your carrots in your low calorie broth!

Another consideration is how much water you drink with your diet. It's definitely a good idea to get up to three liters of water each day. For many this is tough to achieve consistently on a daily basis but an alternative is to eat high water content foods but make sure they are low in calories. These types of foods help to fulfill your water needs while still maintaining low calorie ingested. The water helps with weight loss and also helps flush out toxins, which will help speed up the weight loss process even faster.

Lastly, the best foods to eat for weight loss are ones that speed up your body's metabolism. Foods like fish, chicken, meat and eggs have protein that helps promote weight loss in your body. Taking these things into account for your weight loss diet plans will benefit you greatly in the long run. If you need to know what foods to eat to lose weight quick keep in mind water, low cal snack foods and a pre-meal broth.

A Tip for Succeeding With Your Weight Loss Goals

The first time I went on a diet I didn't have a clue what I was doing. I did all the wrong things:

• I skipped breakfast,
• I avoided fat entirely,
• I stopped eating all of my favourite things,
• I drank too much alcohol instead of eating (who knew that alcohol had so many calories?!),
• and I tended to eat only one decent meal each day.

Whilst this approach might have helped me to lose weight for the first month, it wasn't something that I could stick at long-term, it wasn't healthy and, most importantly to me, it made me miserable. Not surprisingly, therefore, it wasn't long before I had given up my new regime and resorted to my former lifestyle.

However it wasn't an immediate switch from being on a diet one day to not being on a diet the next day. Instead, it was a gradual process. So gradual in fact that I didn't really notice it happening.

On the first day of the slippage I would perhaps have eaten a couple of chocolate biscuits with my cup of tea. And, my god, how much I had missed them and oh boy how good they tasted! The realisation of what I had been missing perhaps led me to have 4 biscuits the next day. The following day was maybe 6 or 8. Before I knew it, I was eating a whole packet of biscuits with a cup of tea! At that point it was fair to say that the fat lady was singing and my first attempt at losing weight had officially ended in failure.

That first diet attempt did, however, teach me one important lesson: if you starve yourself at the same time as banning yourself from eating your favourite foods, your diet is doomed to failure.

I think this is true for two main reasons:

1. Firstly, being hungry when you're dieting is not a good thing. Humans aren't good at being hungry. When I'm hungry, the only thing I can think about is food!
2. Secondly, immediately cutting from your diet all of your favourite foods is a bad idea. Doing so makes you resent your diet and, in a moment of weakness, you will stray back to those favourite foods.

So, what do I suggest instead? The answer is simple - snacking, grazing, nibbling, chewing, call it what you will.

I find that eating something small (ideally something that won't be gone in one mouthful!) every few hours stops me from getting hungry. And, when I'm not hungry, I'm much less likely to eat the wrong things.

So here are my top 10 snacks containing less than 100 calories:

1. Rice cakes - about 40 calories each. Okay, so I know that the first time you try them they taste like cardboard, but I now really like them. They are healthy and filling and take a while to get through.
2. Cup-a-soups. Warm and filling and surprisingly satisfying.
3. Ice lollies made out of no-sugar fruit squash. Practically no calories, yet delicious and refreshing - perfect for summer snacks!
4. 25 olives - less than 100 calories for these deliciously salty morsels.
5. 30 grapes - similar to olives, it'll take ages to munch through this lot.
6. 3 kiwi fruit - full of vitamin C.
7. 25 jelly beans.
8. A small bag of Twiglets.
9. One banana.
10. Four or five Werthers' Original.

If nothing in this list appeals, simply decide what does appeal and look on the label for the calorie content - adapt the size of your snack to cut the calorie content to 100 or less.

I hope this simple tip helps you in your weight loss objectives.

6 Tips For Weight Loss Motivation

It is very easy to start a diet and fitness program. Millions do it every day. Have you ever wondered if so many people are dieting, why is there such an obese epidemic? The answer is that most lose their motivation within a couple of weeks and stop their weight loss journey. It is easy to get motivated for a couple of days or a week, but very hard to keep that motivation going. Listed below you will find 6 weight loss motivation tips that have proven to be beneficial in keeping people working toward their fitness goals.

1. Write your goals down. It does not matter if your goal is to lose 10 lbs of fat or 200 lbs of fat it needs to be in writing. The very act of putting pen to paper will spark your motivation. You should review your goal when you start your day and right before going to bed.

2. Picture your success. Find a picture of someone, that has the body you would like to have. Replace their head with yours and place it somewhere that you will see it everyday. Every time you see it, you will be refocused on your goal for a healthier you.

3. Have a why. Ensure that your reason for losing fat and getting healthy are strong ones. Look at things like being around for your family, not having to take expensive medications, and just being able to enjoy life.. As the saying goes "when the why is strong enough the how becomes easy".

4. Make sub goals. Be sure to break your goals down. If your goal is to lose 60 lbs that can be a bit overwhelming. If you break the goal weight loss down to 5 lbs at a time it is easier to focus on 5 lbs at a time. As a bonus once you reach each 5 lbs weight loss you will be much more motivated to continue.

5. Join a fitness challenge. There are many challenges that you can join where you compete with others. Competition is always a strong motivator plus the prizes that are given to the winner don't hurt either.

6. Reward yourself. As you reach each weight loss goal give yourself a reward. Make the rewards proportional. The reward for 5 lbs should not be as big as the reward for your final goal weight reward. That way you are always working toward a bigger prize. This will definitely keep you motivated throughout your fat loss program.

Herbal Supplements and Weight Loss

Weight loss supplements are a $4.7 billion industry in the United States alone, yet no single study has found any of these products to deliver results in significant weight loss. In fact, many have harmful health benefits instead. From prescription drugs, over-the-counter pills to commercial brands of weight loss products, very few promise results without the harmful side effects.

These days, herbal supplements are becoming more dominant and in demand, and for very good reasons too. Where else in the past, herbal supplements were thought to be ineffective, today it has been proven quite the opposite. Natural Herbs have been the oldest supplements in history and have been used by mankind for medicinal and health purposes in the earliest of times. Scientists have only just more recently discovered its potential for losing weight. And herbs, almost all the time, do not present harmful side effects.

So which ones then aid and promote weight loss?

One natural herb that is sure to ring a bell is Camellia Sinensis or more commonly known as Green Tea. It contains substances called catechin which is a class of antioxidants that helps increase your energy and metabolism and stimulate fat burn. It also helps suppress your appetite. Green tea is growingly popular as a drink and as an ingredient in herbal supplements.

Paullinia Cupana or Guarana, also has a reputation to aid in dropping excess weight through increased metabolism and works in a similar way to caffeine. It's no secret that caffeine is a stimulant that increases mental alertness and fights fatigue. Guarana delivers all that plus it increases stamina and physical endurance. There has been evidence that Guarana suppresses appetite and increases fat burning.

Who here hasn't heard of Hoodia? Enter your local health store and you're bound to see it on the main shelves and lined at the storefront. Hoodia has become the number one herb for appetite suppression in the U.S. Unlike most other herbs, this medicinal herb works on the brain to suppress appetite. Hoodia also aids in weight loss by controlling and lowering blood glucose, which translates to reduced fat storage. This herb comes from Southern Africa where it's commonly used to treat indigestion and infections.

A less popular herb is Coleus forskohlii, also known as just Coleus, which assists in breaking down fat deposits, preventing production of adipose tissue. It increases thyroid function which in result stimulates the metabolism. Coleus contains a diterpenoid called forskolin, which is the active constituent of this herb. It is the only plant derived compound known to directly stimulate the enzyme, adenlylate cyclase, and in turn, stimulates cellular cyclic AMP which boosts metabolism to assist weight loss.

Here is natural herb that you've possibly never ever heard of, let alone aware of the fact that it can help in weight loss. Guggul has components that naturally stimulate the thyroid gland activity and return the metabolic rate to the right level. It is highly effective at accelerating fat loss and is most effective for people have been on long term weight loss programs. Losing pounds doesn't get any easier and faster than this, as when your metabolic rate is returned to the level it should be, more calories are being burned up again. Now that you've heard of Guggul and its powers, I bet you'll never forget the name ever!

Although it's still recommended that you consult with your GP before approaching a weight loss program, and that a program still needs to consist of a change in diet and some exercise, you can depend on herbal supplements to realize your goals sooner and in a safe and effective manner.

v Check Out Our Review of the Diet Solution Program

What is the diet solution program?

The diet solution program is an all natural diet and nutrition program on the internet dedicated to help you lose weight and be healthy at the same time. This program consists of a 180 page ebook whilst also providing you with online videos, articles and support 24/7 with multiple fat loss strategies to see stubborn fat come right off your body. The ebook and subsequent weight loss material was created by Isabel De Los Rios, a certified nutritionist and exercise specialist who prides herself on creating this new and innovative way to lose weight, providing a different approach to nutrition setting her apart from other weight loss professionals.

How does it work?

The diet solution program identifies three metabolic categories to which the ebook helps to determine which one you fall into. The three metabolic categories consist of Carbohydrates, Protein or Mixed each having a specific detailed meal plan with specific amounts of related foods needed to be consumed in order to achieve weight loss. Along with the meal plan the diet solution program also specifies the need to regularly exercise and journal your food progress in order to achieve optimal weight loss over the period of your journey.

What are the advantages?

The first advantage when using this program is that it promotes a healthy diet specifically catered to your bodies needs. This plan will show you how to select the right foods that you need to keep your body in its optimal healthy state, keeping your blood sugar levels balanced, maximising your body's fat burning ability and making sure your food portions are accurate.

Secondly this diet solution program allows you to consume a wide range of food not limiting you to raw tasteless food during your weight loss journey. For example in the Carbohydrate category you are allowed to consume such items as brown rice, sweet potatoes, sugar, raw nuts, avocadoes and whole eggs as well as lean meats, fish and poultry.

Thirdly unlike other weight loss programs there is no need to count calories when deciding what food you should eat and what food you shouldn't. This diet solution program does not believe that calorie counting is a main concern when losing weight but rather actual food you choose to eat and how often you eat them encouraging you to be more mindful of what foods you put in your mouth. This program allows you to realise the effects of eating chemical, preservative and over processed foods compared to eating more lean and healthy meats, vegetables and fruits.

Finally the construction of this diet solution program allows it to be implemented over the long term and so doesn't just aim at short term fixes. Therefore your weight loss is more likely to be permanent making this the last diet program you ever try.

What are the disadvantages?

The only disadvantage that this program has is that it is not widely supported by the medical and dietetic communities which judge which programs are best for weight loss. This is mainly due to its lack of calorie counting and many of the foods it allows you to eat. However it is clear that this diet solution program does help you to lose weight, seen through many of its success stories so it is your decision whether this is the right diet program for you.

Here we have provided you with a review of the diet solution program helping you decide whether this is the right weight loss program for you. This program provides you with a healthy weight loss plan helping you to avoid processed, over chemically made, preservative based food favouring instead natural vegetables, proteins and carbohydrates. The overall construction of this program including its emphasis on regular exercise can result in immediate weight loss, helping you construct and healthy eating habits over the long term

Runners Diet For Weight Loss - How to Eat For Weight Loss When Running and Exercising

Starting running as a means for weight loss is the ideal training strategy for shedding the extra pounds and keeping them off for good. Running is a cardiovascular exercise per excellence. And it sheds more weight than other training programs. Not only that, running decreases the chances of heart-related problems, lessens stress levels, wards off diabetes, makes you look younger, and improves sex drives, and so on. The list of reasons why running is so good for you is almost endless.

However, to effectively lose the weight and keep it off for good, you need to back up your weight loss program with the right diet. Otherwise the sweat is for nothing.

Therefore, if you're looking to blast through weigh loss plateaus, here are a few practical diet tips that can help.

Don't skip meals

Meal skipping is a sign of trouble. If you regularly skip on meals-especially breakfast-then expect slower metabolism levels, extreme levels of fatigue, weight loss plateaus or even gains and other serious health troubles. Instead, make sure to eat your meals throughout the day. The best way to do so is to opt for 4-5 small meals every 3-4 hours. This is enough to keep your metabolism firing and provide your body with the needed energy to enjoy high levels of running performance.

Eat Your Carbs

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy on the run. But not all carbs are created equal. There are mainly 2 types of carbs:

- The good carbs: also known as complex carbohydrates. Make sure to eat plenty of them-especially 2-3 hours before the workout and immediately afterwards. Good sources of complex carbs include vegetable, beans, legumes and fruit. Limit your consumption of the later one.

- The bad carbs: Also know as simple carbohydrates, they are easily and swiftly absorbed by the body, thus they tend to boost blood sugar levels, leading to cravings and overeating. In addition, this type of carbs is full with sugars and chemicals, thus they will definitely compromise your weight loss efforts and overall health and well being levels. Do your best to cut them off your diet for good.

Eat More Protein

Protein will not only help you pile on more muscle mass-thus develop the physics of your dreams-it'll also keep your cravings at bay by providing you with a sense of fullness for longer, thus prevent snacking and overeating between meals. Some of the best sources of lean protein are red meat, chicken, turkey and eggs.

Get All the Information on Burning Fat With the Fat Burning Furnace eBook

The Fat Burning Furnace eBook may just be the solution you have been waiting for to get in shape. What makes this program so special is that it is not like other fat burning programs; rather it has unique techniques in ensuring that you will get the results you are after. Get all the information about this program right here to determine if this is something that will work for you to achieving your dream weight.

The Fat Burning Furnace is a fat burning plan that is based online that means that you can easily access everything on the Internet. With this program, you will receive a 160-page Fat Burning Furnace eBook, 12 months coaching via email, an Ultimate Success tool kit, a log for your workouts, a body fat percentage analyzer, a metabolic rate calculator, and recipes that are rich in nutrients. Basically all these are meant to help you achieve your weight loss goal as efficiently and quickly as possible.

With this eBook, you will learn all the different workout techniques, specifically the 15-minute miracle workout that includes strength-training exercises that are short, but intense. This is meant to turn fat into lean muscles to maximize the amount of calories your body burns by turning it into a fat burning furnace so that even after your exercises, you will still be continuously burning calories. The more muscles you are able to build, the more calories your body can burn.

When you go through this eBook, you will discover that this fat burning plan is not like any other. No cardio is necessary to get to your weight loss goal. Simply do the recommended workout routines and you will be on your way to getting the body you have always dreamed of. Since each session is only 15 minutes and only has to be accomplished three times a week, it can be easily inserted into anyone's schedule.

Other than the workout plan, there is also the diet plan that is included in this program. It consists of a healthy balanced diet that is filled with nutrient-rich foods that aid in burning fat. You'd be surprised but certain foods will actually help you burn more fat. Once you know what foods to avoid and what to include in your diet, you will be eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle altogether.

All the information you need to burn fat can be found in programs like the Fat Burning Furnace eBook. With a plan like this, losing weight can be a lot simpler allowing you to get to your goal faster.

Fitness Model Program by Jennifer Nicole Lee EBook Review - For Female Weight Loss

Today we're reviewing the bestselling female weight loss program Fitness Model Program by Jennifer Nicole Lee (JNL). 

Fitness Model Program is a 150 page female weight loss eBook written by Jennifer Nicole Lee.  It overflows with information, tips and photos to help women lose weight fast.  From the beginner level to more advanced levels, you have 12 weeks worth of fat-blasting programs to work with. You also get a 30 minute audio in mp3 format to help motivate you to lose weight with your iPod or mp3 player.

Who Is Jennifer Nicole Lee?

Jennifer Nicole Lee is a world renowned fitness expert, author and lifestyle consultant and have all the credentials to coach and train you to get the sexy body that you deserve.  Her weight loss success story and her female weight loss program have even been featured on TV shows such as Oprah Winfrey, Inside Edition, The Big Idea with Donny Deutch and "E" Entertainment.

Jennifer Nicole Lee has now used all her experience to design this revolutionary new female weight loss and muscle building system.  Fitness Model Program was specifically created to help busy women (students, business women, mothers and even fellow female fitness experts) to achieve that sexy worshipped slim physique that we all want with the least amount of time, money and energy spent.

Keep in mind that the Fitness Model Program has been used by thousdands of women worldwide of all shapes, sizes and ages to gain a slimmer and sexier figure!  You don't have to do hours of training either! 

Jennifer Nicole Lee has this to say about her program

"The Fitness Model Program will help you lose that ugly fat and cellulite and allow you to build feminine sleek and sexy muscle tone with only 4 short workouts per week!  Some women are even experiencing the enjoyment of getting their hot body back and not only looking, but feeling years younger and even reporting having higher sexual energy as well!  

Program workouts can easily be done in the comfort of your own home - All you need is basic equipment like dumbbells, an exercise bench & a workout mat. There is no need to go to a smelly, crowded, and expensive gym to achieve the look you want!"

Some of the things you will learn in the program are:

• How to Train like a Fitness Model to get maximum results in minimum time from working out smarter, not harder!
• How to Eat like a Fitness Model - to train your body to perform with more energy, stamina and endurance!
• How to Look like a Fitness Model - Not only will you turn heads, but you will break necks!
• How to Create a beauty regiment like a Fitness Model - Your hair, skin and face look and represent the ultimate look of health!
• How to banish cellulite forever- it is possible!

This revolutionary new workout program was even featured on Oprah with Oprah saying, ""JNL has devised a workout program that's pretty cool."

If you want to lose weight fast and achieve a more beautiful body, we highly recommend that you read our full review to see if this program is right for you.