Top Reasons Why Most Diets Fail

ousted by Guest in Weight Loss
Everyone has dieted at one point in his or her life. Whether it’s a fad diet or something you’ve created on your own, most diets fail for one reason – it’s one size fits all. This approach fails because everyone is different and therefore everyone deserves their own, strategic diet plan that fits their needs, not the needs of a general group.

Poor support structure

Have you ever been on a health kick when all of the sudden your significant other surprises you with a decadent dessert that smashes all the hard work you’ve been doing? How about when you’re at a social gathering and the french onion dip and potato chips are staring you down?
It’s hard to stay on track when you’re working towards a goal on your own and the people around you are not fully supportive and trying to help you stay on track. When dieting, it’s important to surround yourself with friends and family who want to challenge you and will help keep you on track so you can achieve the success you’ve been working so hard at.

Unrealistic expectations

Celebrities are poor representations of what we should look like. While many of them are fit and trim and can show off how a disciplined diet and experienced trainer can give you a rocking body, it’s unrealistic. Non-celebrities don’t have the time nor the budget to put into achieving a celebrity-style body.
In reality, you need to realize that a healthy lifestyle and diet requires time to see success. You can’t exercise for two weeks and expect to lose 20 pounds in that time. If you work hard and continue the exercise regimen, you’ll see results at a healthy pace.

Dieting as a short-term solution

Fad diets are short term. South Beach diet, Atkins, etc are just a temporary fix and not a lifestyle change. Rather than choosing a short-term fix for your diet, take the time to come up with a plan that you can stick with long-term. It’s unreasonable to think that dieting for a month or two is going to positively impact your body. By choosing a plan that fits into your lifestyle, you can find what works best and make it your new way of living, not a temporary fix.

Lack of exercise

Sure it’s possible to lose weight by just dieting, but by adding some exercise into your day you’ll see additional changes to not only your body but your mind as well. Exercising boosts endorphin levels, improves fat burn, helps to give you more energy, lowers your stress levels and even helps to improve your memory.

Not tracking your progression

If you’re afraid to step onto the scale due to embarrassment, you’re making a huge mistake. By not tracking your weight-loss progress, you’re missing out on a slew of benefits. Keeping track of your progress can help you lose weight twice as fast and help you stay motivated, especially when you recognize a week without change. By setting a goal and being able to measure success, you’ll be more likely to stay on track and achieve your goals.
Diets may fail on their own, but if you combine your diet with some additional steps, the sky is the limit. Eat right, exercise regularly, be realistic and track your progress and you’ll be amazed by the changes you see over time. Not only will you see a difference in the mirror but you’ll feel a difference internally as well.

Annie Williams is a freelance writer who focuses on healthy living. Her diet consists of a balance of whole foods and liquid proteins to keep her full and focused for longer periods of time. She hopes her knowledge can help others who are inspired to be healthy and live long lives.
Article Source:http://www.fitnesspros.com/ 

6 Healthy Packed Lunch Ideas for Any Age

Posted by Guest in Foods
As much as we hate to pack lunches for ourselves, it’s the best option to save money and eat healthy. Whether the lunch we pack is for us or our children, there are endless possibilities when it comes to packing nutritious and delicious lunches. Here are some of the best and easiest health food items to include in your bagged lunch from now on.

Fruits and vegetables

This is an obvious one, but fruits and vegetables are always great options for lunch. Cutting up some vegetables or fruit and putting them in bags is easy and simple for lunch and convenient to eat at any point throughout the day.

Homemade granola

When it comes to granola, you have to be super careful of the sugars that a lot of store bought granola contains. That’s why homemade granola is your best bet, especially for lunch. Granola can be made is big batches, can be stored easily and is easy to transport. The grains used in granola are healthy and satisfying and made to keep you full longer, which is a huge advantage of eating it.

Hummus

This Mediterranean dip made out of chickpeas and different spices and flavors is easy to make yourself and a delicious snack. Just blend together some chickpeas with your favorite flavors in a food processor and you could have hummus for a month! The great thing about hummus is that you can freeze it and save some for months down the road. Hummus is great on crackers, with carrots and even on different breeds.

Cheese

Cheese has a pretty bad reputation, but it’s not all that bad if you eat it in reasonable quantities. Pay attention to the quality of cheese when you’re buying and stay away from the overly processed cheeses at the store. If you check the labels and can’t understand half of the ingredients, you should probably pass. But if you can find some minimally processed cheeses, these make a great snack and provide a great source of calcium.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is one of those snacks that everyone has in the back of their pantry, well besides those with peanut allergies. Peanut butter is a perfect snack and great dip for fruits and even vegetables. Stick to the natural peanut butter when buying it at the store since it’s full of healthy fats and has no added sugar, no added trans fat and isn’t made with preservatives. The consistency might be something to get used to, but once you do, you’ll never go back to the processed stuff.

Trail Mix

Trail mix is a great snack to bring to the office for lunch or even save for a mid-afternoon snack. Trail mix can be made to your liking, with nuts, dried fruits, chocolate, crackers, and anything else you wish! As long as you don’t have a nut allergy, trail mix is a great source of energy to pick you up at lunch time and get you through the rest of the day.
Whether you like sweet or salty, there’s a snack option above for any type of appetite. You don’t have to run to the vending machine next time you’re getting hungry. Save your money and the calories and pack yourself something easy and nutritious. Your body will thank you later, and you’ll feel better about the choices you made too.

Becky Karn is a freelance writer and health advocate. She’s researched and studied some colleagues who have gotten their masters online in health administration is, and is still learning from their health choices and knowledge of nutrition.
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How to Lose Weight Healthily and Keep Fats Off Permanently

y: Chris Chew
Burn The Fats And Keep Them Off Permanently!
How many times have you heard a friend say, "I am on a diet"? Then what happens is your friend would lose some weight for a while before putting them all back on again.

I'll bet you have also heard someone said that "Cardio exercise is the best way for losing weight". This person would then religiously pound the treadmill but results are agonizingly slow. Soon, he gives up and gains back all the weight he had lost, and sometimes even gaining some extra kilos!
Ah, so you thought you've finally found the answer to permanent weight loss. You went on a strict diet and ran your heart out. Yes, you dropped kilos real quickly. But somehow, something is wrong when you look into the mirror in your birthday suit.

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Yes you have lost some weight, but somehow your body shape isn't as flattering as you would like it to be. And then suddenly, you hit a plateau. No matter how strict your diet and cardio workouts are, your weight just simply refuses to drop any further. Then horrors of horrors, your kilograms actually started piling on! You get disillusioned with the unrewarding program and soon you succumbed, gave up and blame it on your bad genes. Sounds familiar? Why???
Here's why. Firstly, the heading of the article said "Burn The Fats" and not "Lose Weight". My point is, by merely losing weight, you will also lose some muscle mass in the process. By losing muscles, you will lose body tone and thus your metabolism for burning calories will slow down correspondingly. Therefore, you have got to maintain or even build muscles while losing fats. You may even gain some weight because muscles are heavier than fats. See the paradox?
To lose fats and keep them off permanently, you have to combine healthy eating habits, incorporate cardio exercises and lift weights to build muscles. For every kg of muscles you pack, you will burn an extra 70-100 calories per day even without doing anything. Can you imagine the benefits of building up 5kg of extra muscles? You will be burning 350 to 500 extra calories a day even if you just laze around. You'll be burning a Big Mac everyday! To further illustrate my point, 1 kg = about 7,700 calories, thus if you burn 500 calories a day because of the extra muscles you have, you will be burning off about 1 kg every 2 weeks simply because of your higher metabolism rate! You'll also look good, healthy and well-toned too! Is it any wonder why body builders eat so much but do not put on fats as easily?
Everyone knows that intensive cardio and strict diets cause you to lose muscle mass along with fats. So while you will lose some weight at the beginning, you will look like, well, just a smaller version of you without any muscle tone. That's not what we want isn't it?
As you lose more and more muscles, your metabolism plummets. On top of that, your body will start conserving fats and 'eat' your muscles for energy because it is reacting to your strict diet and is now in the "famine" mode. What happens then is that you will hit a plateau and no matter what you do, you will not reduce anymore weight and your fats will start creeping up again. This, in a nutshell, is the 'yo-yo' dieting effect that we hear so much about.
Losing fats is simple. And notice that I said 'simple' but did not say that it is 'easy'. My pointers will be simple to understand, but the execution will take determination and discipline on your part. It is a lifestyle change to keep the fats off permanently and you will be glad you did because you will get used to the changes in only a few weeks. By then, it will become a cultivated habit for you, especially when you are rewarded with a fitter, healthier, hunkier and sexier you, together with a glowing complexion to boot!
Here is how you do it. Simply, losing fat just means you must burn more calories than you consume. Period.
Lift weights with compound exercises. Forget those puny biceps and triceps curls. Go for big muscle groups like legs, back and chest routines. Why? Because you are working with bigger parts with more mass, and that means more body muscles are working, translating into more calories being expended. If you are fit, do giant sets (4 or more exercises or sets with no rest in between sets or exercise).
Here's an example. Lift only one set of each exercise with no rest in between the exercises. Choose a weight of about 60%-70% of what you normally lift and go for at least 25 reps. Lift more if you can or until your muscles are fatigued, then stop. Leave the gym. The whole routine should not take you more than 40 minutes. But remember to warm up thoroughly and cool down with some light movements and stretching.
After thoroughly warming up, start with squats, then dip, bench press, barbell row and military press. Sounds simple? Not so. You will be huffing, puffing and sweating profusely. What is achieved? You will have combined a cardio workout with a weightlifting workout and your metabolism will burn for the next several hours. Do this 3 times a week with at least a day's rest in between lifting days.
After 4-8 weeks, change the sequence of the exercises. So if you usually squat first, then squat last. Then after another 4-8 weeks, change some of the exercises, like substituting squats with dead lift, or bar bell rows with lat pull down. This is to shock your muscles so that they continue to adapt and grow.
For cardio, go for a run first thing in the morning before breakfast. If you are jogging at normal speed, sustain the jog for at least 45 minutes. If you are running at 65% to 80% of your maximum heart rate (you will be panting and unable to sing or complete a sentence while running), then 20-30 minutes will be enough. Anything more than that may cause muscle break down. You may intersperse the speed with slower jogs in between to catch your breath. Do these 5-6 times a week.
Eating habits? Just eat less of what you normally eat. For example if you have 2 slices of bread with 2 eggs in the morning, now take just one slice and an egg. Just eat half of what you eat but eat more regularly. Have 5 to 6 meals a day if you can. This is to feed your body frequently so that it will not go into starvation mode and start to conserve fats. At the same time, it will boost metabolism because your body burns calories while digesting the food. Chuck away all soft drinks, sugared drinks and stop adding sugar into your coffee and tea. Just by abstaining from sugary drinks, you may already have gotten rid yourself of 200 calories per day. Drink plenty of water instead and double the amount if you can.
Oh, by the way, all work and no play make Jack a dull tired boy and an exhausted Jill. Do choose a day to relax a week. No exercise on that day. Indulge in your favorite food if you must. Hey, pat yourself on the back and reward yourself for passing another grueling week. After all, your body needs to recover too.
As you reach your fat loss goals and you are happy with your muscular development, you can then take things a little easier. Hit the gym less frequently, have shorter runs and even relax a little in your diet. Because of your greater musculature, your body is now a fat-burning machine. You have earned that luxury.
Simple? Sure. But do you have the determination enough to lose those fats and keep them off permanently? It's your call folks!
Author Bio
Chris Chew is a Singapore based American Muscle and Fitness Institute's Master Trainer. His clients consist of TV personalities, models, winners of national and international pageants. He has appeared on national TV and papers on numerous occasions. For more articles like this and free newsletters like this, check out www.sgfitnessonline.com
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Find a Weight Loss Program That Works For You

By: Philip Nicosia

Millions of people struggle with weight issues every year-and despite claims that a wonder diet can "work for everybody", the fact is that each of those individuals have a medical history, a personality, or a lifestyle issue that affects whether or not that weight control technique will help them shed those pounds.

But while nothing works for everybody, there is something that will work for you... and the challenge is to find it, identify it, and stick to it. For some people, appetite control is extremely difficult. Some weight loss programs try to tackle that problem by delving into the psychological issues behind food (these are the total lifestyle body makeovers, whose techniques include keeping a food journal and coming to terms with one's body image). Others address the problem through metabolism, introducing or removing certain foods in one's diet that are said to either trigger appetite. Still others, like diet pills, act as appetite suppressants. Other programs rely on nutritional substitutes, like heavy shakes that make one feel full and provide adequate vitamins and minerals, while reducing calories. For others, it's not appetite that's problematic, it's the kind of food they eat. Certain diet programs give very strict diet regimens that promote weight loss, because of the way the body digests the food. Some are short-term, meant to shed pounds over a limited period of time; others are long-term lifestyle changes. The success of these diet programs depend largely on the person's weight loss goals and level of commitment. Needless to say, if you just want to drop a dress size for your wedding, you may not be ready to go into something long-term. But if you have health problems, and need to control cholesterol levels, then a short-term solution would not be very effective. Other weight loss programs are closely tied with exercise routines. Of course, not all exercise regimens will appeal to an individual; some would find yoga interesting, while others would prefer something like belly dancing. The idea is that one picks what is most interesting to them-the more fun and enjoyment they derive from a routine, the more likely they will stick to it. The mistake that many people make is that they don't consider their own lifestyle or personality when they try a diet or exercise regimen; they go with what everyone else is doing, or jump on the weight loss bandwagon on the premise that it worked for so-and-so. While it's okay to experiment with different regimens (wouldn't hurt to try anything once), ultimately it is a search to find what is personally appealing. Another secret to maintaining a diet or exercise regimen is to have very clear and realistic goals. "Be thin" is too general to be meaningful; pinpoint a number, and a date: "Lose 15 pounds by September." And to avoid discouragement, that goal must be humanly achievable and should never compromise with one's health. If a diet makes one dizzy, or radically affects one's ability to be fully alert and functional, then stop immediately. Luckily there is a wide variety of weight loss regimens. There's bound to be one that will help one meet one's goals and match one's lifestyle. Author Bio
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10 Ingredients in Weight Loss Pills

By: John Connory

Looking for help with losing weight? Help that goes beyond the usual lifestyle changes, portion control advice and exercise routines? Weight-loss supplements touting names like "fat burner" and "thermo max" can be enticing. But do they work? And even more important, in the wake of the Food and Drug Administration's recent ban on ephedra, are they safe?

In this article, Environmental Nutrition provides a snapshot of 10 of the most popular ingredients currently in supplements for weight loss.

Chitosan

Made from the shells of lobsters, shrimp and other shellfish, chitosan is an indigestible fiber. It is supposed to help weight loss by binding with the fat you eat, blocking its absorption. However, studies do not support this claim. Side effects include constipation and gas. People with shellfish allergies should beware.

Chromium

Most often present as chromium picolinate, it has been promoted to boost lean mass and decrease body fat. Though study findings have been inconclusive, an analysis of several studies recently concluded that supplementing with 200 to 400 micrograms of chromium picolinate could result in about a 2.5-pound weight loss per week in some people. Other studies have found a loss of body fat and an increase in muscle tissue, with no change in weight. Still others have found no effect at all. Though some laboratory studies have raised safety issues, a large number of human studies suggest it is safe.

Citrus Aurantium (Bitter Orange)

This herbal extract is a natural source of synephrine (a compound similar to ephedrine) and the supplement industry's current answer to the ephedra ban. But there are no published studies to show it is an effective supplement for weight loss. And like ephedra, its side effects include an increase in blood pressure; Environmental Nutrition recommends avoiding it.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)

Both animal and human research hints at a possible role for CLA in reducing body fat and increasing lean body mass, but it's not quite ready for prime time. None of the human studies have been long-term. CLA is currently being studied in combination with chromium picolinate. CLA is found naturally in dairy foods and beef and is generally considered safe.

Garcinia Cambogia

The extract from Garcinia cambogia fruit rind contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which supposedly curbs food intake, weight gain and storage of excess calories as fat. However, studies have failed to prove G. cambogia is an effective weight-loss aid. The most common side effects are upper respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Guarana

Caffeine is the effective ingredient in guarana plant seeds. Guarana may have a mild appetite suppressant effect over the short term. It was often used in combination with ephedra until ephedra was banned. The potential side effects are those of caffeine overdose-insomnia, restlessness, anxiety or panic.

Hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB)

HMB is a natural byproduct of the breakdown of the amino acid leucine. HMB supplements are used by body builders in hopes of increasing muscle mass. A few small studies have suggested that HMB increases lean mass and decreases body fat when combined with weight training. However, studies with overweight and obese people are needed.

Plantago Psyllium

Psyllium is a water-soluble fiber from Plantago ovato seeds. Taken before a meal, it may make you feel full, causing you to eat less. While it is proved to aid constipation (that's how Metamucil works), it has not been proved as an effective weight-loss aid.

Pyruvate

Pyruvate formulas boast that they stimulate metabolism and reduce body fat. Pyruvate is found naturally in food and in the body as a result of the breakdown of carbohydrates and protein. Some studies have shown a weight-loss benefit with pyruvate supplements. But the people in the studies also exercised and cut back on calories. Moreover, the dosage used in the studies was high, requiring a handful of tablets each day. Experts say the case for pyruvate to aid weight loss is weak.

Yerba mate

Brewed into a tea, bitter Yerba mate is high in caffeine. Used in combination with other caffeine-containing herbs, like guarana and damiana, it was found in one study to delay stomach emptying time and aid weight loss. The study was short (45 days), so conclusions on keeping the weight off cannot be made.

The Bottom Line

Though all are relatively expensive and none are proved, of these top popular weight-loss contenders, chromium picolinate and CLA are probably the most studied. If you've already made up your mind to go the supplement route, you might want to give them a try. Just don't expect miracles and check with your doctor first.

Author Bio

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