Posts Tagged ‘Weight Loss’

Apple Cider Vinegar and Weight Loss

January 30th, 2011

Copyright 2011

For many years apple cider vinegar has been used as a health supplement, including for weight loss.Apple cider vinegar weight loss– is it possible? Apple cider vinegar is not a component to some new fad diet; the idea of taking apple cider vinegar for its health benefits is actually not anywhere near new. Apple cider vinegar is an ancient remedy for a number of health concerns, from diabetes all the way to yeast infections. It is extraordinarily versatile and is readily available in grocery stores for purchase and use. Is weight loss with apple cider vinegar possible? How do you take it? And, if it does work, how soon can you expect to see results?

Many are still unsure as to whether apple cider vinegar will actually help you lose weight, and while there are those skeptics who will assure you that it is merely a hoax, there are personal accounts that detail real results. And according to a study done in 2005, out of twelve subjects who all ate a slice of bread, the ones who followed the bread with a small amount of vinegar were able to feel more satiated for a longer period of time than those who consumed the bread alone. Feeling more satisfied from your food helps to curb your hunger and could prevent you from the binging and overeating that results in weight gain and weight loss plateaus.

Also, the benefits of vinegar have been studied in numerous other health conditions that have seen some astounding results, not the least significant of which is diabetes. There have been several studies that have shown vinegar to reduce blood glucose levels.

How do you take apple cider vinegar? There are a couple of different options for this. Apple cider vinegar comes in a bottle at the grocery store, readily available– make sure you buy the raw stuff, not the vinegar that’s been filtered or distilled, as it contains the most nutrients. You can mix one or two tablespoons of it into a glass of water, or you can just take a spoonful, following a meal.

You may also be able to find apple cider vinegar pills in the health care supplement aisle of your local supermarket, which may be easier to take but not have the same health benefits as the apple cider vinegar itself.

How soon could you see results from apple cider vinegar weight loss?How soon will you see results? The simple answer is that the results will vary from person to person, and depend a great deal on the existing diet and lifestyle and whether the person taking the vinegar is establishing any other significant changes. For instance, someone who is taking vinegar regularly and also exercising may see results in a few weeks, while someone who remains sedentary may take a great deal longer to see any change. It all depends on the person.

Before making any drastic changes, be sure to consult a doctor to ensure that the option is safe for you. Apple cider vinegar has been known for years as a simple and effective home remedy for a number of things, but it is certainly better to be safe than sorry. Apple cider vinegar weight loss may not be the safest or best option for you. Get the go-ahead from the doc, establish a daily regimen in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular activity, and wait for the results to start showing.

Click here for more great weight loss information and instant access to the #1 weight loss plan on the Internet!

Am I Overweight? Discover the Answer for Yourself

January 30th, 2011

Copyright 2011

Find the answer to the question "Am I Overweight?"If you are an American examining your diet and lifestyle, you may be wondering: am I overweight? Obesity is a major concern for adults and children today; it is rapidly making itself known as one of the most dangerous and prevalent health conditions among Americans. A person is considered overweight when his or her BMI, or body mass index, is between 25 and 29, and is considered obese when his or her BMI is greater than or equal to 30.

You may be wondering whether you have anything to worry about. There are plenty of factors to look into to consider whether you are overweight and to determine what you need to do to rectify the situation and ensure that you are in the best of health. Obesity can result in a higher propensity towards any number of health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease, one of today’s leading killers of Americans.

To find out whether you are overweight, first take a look in the mirror.

Does your body seem out of proportion in terms of your body mass versus your frame? Are you especially heavy or fleshy around your abdomen, your hips and legs? Have you lost tone and definition of your musculature? If so, chances are you could be overweight.

Next, look at your lifestyle.

Finding out if you are overweight is the first step toward successful weight loss.What kinds of foods comprise your diet? If your diet consists of mostly foods that are high in calories from fats, sugars, and sodium, it’s likely that you are getting too much of the kinds of foods that lead to obesity and, ultimately, to diseases like diabetes. If you are getting too much of these foods, try replacing them with more fruits, vegetables, whole grain instead of white, and leaner meats.

Also consider the level of activity in your life. If you are living a mostly sedentary lifestyle– working at a desk, then going home without exercising– you are probably not getting enough activity and have a higher likelihood of being overweight. Try to get more exercise, if this is the case; start by including a brisk walk in your daily routine.

An easy way to tell whether you are overweight is to find out your BMI, or body mass index. The body mass index measures the factors of height and weight to assign you a numerical value, from which it can be determined whether you are technically underweight, normal, overweight or obese. A person is considered obese when his BMI is at or above 30. If you have a BMI in the range of 25-29, you are considered overweight. Take a look at this formula to determine your BMI:

BMI = (Weight in lbs. x 703) / (height in inches)squared

For example, a man is 5′8” tall and weighs 178 pounds.

BMI = (178 x 703) / (68)squared

BMI = (125,134) / (4,624)

BMI = 27.06

His weight falls in the overweight range.

You can also do this just as easily by finding an online BMI calculator, which will do these steps for you, and instantly tell you your BMI. Examine this advice carefully to answer the question, “am I overweight?” and then decide what you’re going to do about it.

Click here for more great weight loss information and instant access to the #1 weight loss plan on the Internet!

Diet Plans for Pregnant Women

November 21st, 2010

Copyright 2010

Consideration of diet plans during pregnancy should be undertaken with great caution for your health and that of your baby.While they’re not always first on the list of priorities for pregnant women, diet plans created specifically for moms-to-be are nevertheless a popular and well-researched topic.

For many women, pregnancy is a time of insecurity and uncertainty. Your hormones are out of balance and you may experience that in the form of erratic mood swings, while the prospect of gaining additional weight can be an additional mental weight that adds to the stress that an expecting mother feels. Even more alarming is the possibility that the added weight might not come off once the pregnancy is over.

It’s easy to see why a woman would be apprehensive about the weight she’ll gain during pregnancy, and would seek diet plans that would help her to slim down despite the natural weight gain. But in considering your diet during pregnancy, it’s important for expecting mothers to concentrate more on the quality of their food rather than the weight that comes with pregnancy.

In general, diet plans for pregnant women do not stray far from the eating patterns that are normally considered healthy. Expectant mothers do well to heed common sense advice such as avoiding junk food and fast food, eating sweets sparingly, and increasing their intake of fruits and vegetables.

Whole grains should replace processed starches whenever possible; using whole wheat pasta and bread is a great start, as is reducing extra (unneeded) calories from liquids such as soda and juice. Pregnant women should take care to balance their caloric intake between carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. An expecting mother who follows these common sense tips will not gain any more weight than is necessary, and the development of these healthy eating habits will make it easier to return to her pre-pregnancy weight after the baby’s birth.

In addition to following healthy eating patterns, pregnant women should include certain foods in their diet plans that contain vitamins and minerals that are helpful to a baby’s development. The American Dietetic Association recommends that pregnant women increase the number of servings of fruits and vegetables to seven per day; these nutrient-packed foods will serve an expecting mother well.

Grains are especially helpful as they are an iron-rich food, and iron is important for the blood of both mother and baby. Calcium is another highly-recommended mineral for mothers, aiding in the development of teeth and bones for the baby, and can be obtained by including two or three servings of dairy in your daily diet; two eight-ounce glasses of milk will provide more than enough calcium for the day. Finally, folic acid aids in the development of an unborn baby’s nervous system and can be obtained by eating whole grains and green vegetables, or by taking a dietary supplement.

Fish are normally a healthy part of your diet plan, but must be eaten with caution during pregnancy.There are a few foods that mothers should remove from their diet plans; namely, certain types of fish.

The Environmental Protection Agency warns that although fish and shellfish are high in healthy nutrients such as lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids, some species do contain mercury. If consumed in large amounts, mercury can damage a developing baby’s nervous system, so it’s important that mothers stay away from fish high in mercury. Common types of seafood low in mercury include light tuna, shrimp, and salmon, and expecting mothers should be safe in eating up to 12 ounces of these foods per week. Albacore tuna, or “white” tuna, however, contains higher amounts of mercury and pregnant women should consume no more than 6 ounces per week of this type.

It’s natural for a woman to be worried about the weight that she will gain during pregnancy, but it’s important to note that a developing baby needs adequate, and appropriate, nutrition to be healthy. Therefore, pregnant women should focus on diet plans that include a variety of healthy foods to limit the extra weight gained during pregnancy, and to ensure that they and their babies receive adequate nutrition rather than attempting to diet down to fight natural weight gain.

If you are searching for an effective weight loss plan that will help you to eat healthy, nutritious meals and lose weight no matter your life stage, click here.

How Safe is Rapid Weight Loss?

November 20th, 2010

Copyright 2010

Rapid weight loss may not be your best choice. How you choose to lose weight can greatly affect your overall health.Much of the dieting culture in the Western world is obsessed with rapid weight loss; seeking quick solutions to long-term problems. As proof, one needs to look no further than the constant promises of quick weight loss proposed by nearly every fad diet to reach popularity.

It’s not enough that some dieting programs make less-than-accurate claims – you can eat whatever you want, you don’t have to exercise, you’ll never gain the weight back – but they also often use time as a selling point. Specifically, they claim that dieters can expect to see their weight plummet and that they’ll have their perfect bodies within just a month or two.

Who wouldn’t love to achieve a set of rock-hard abs and a beach-ready waist in just a couple of months? It’s easy to understand how people could be seduced by these claims.

Unfortunately, these promises just don’t reflect reality; not only is it unreasonable to expect to lose weight very quickly without much effort, but even if the dieter does manage to lose weight at an accelerated rate, he or she may be doing more harm than good.

It’s tempting to go on a crash diet so that you’ll look great for that upcoming wedding or social event, but there are several reasons why losing weight too quickly is a bad idea. First, rapid weight loss generally involves heavy caloric restriction on the part of the dieter, meaning that he or she consumes far fewer calories than is recommended. This plan may result in the dieter seeing the scale numbers drop, but it’s ultimately unhealthy because the body is starved for energy.

In situations like these, the dieter’s body is more likely to store food as fat because of the lack of food that it’s receiving, and it’s also more likely to prey on lean tissue to meet its energy needs. Thus, a very low-calorie diet not only encourages the body to store fat, but it reduces the dieter’s muscle mass; that might not sound like a bad thing, but lean muscle tissue is what gives a healthy body its “toned” appearance and keeps our metabolic rates stable. Therefore, it’s important to preserve muscle mass in order to keep our bodies looking their best.

Rapid weight loss through crash dieting is never a good idea. Weight loss that includes a healthy eating program is always best.Most rapid weight loss diets operate on the concept of quickly dropping the body’s natural water weight. They may offer a quick loss of 10 or even 20 pounds, but the majority of this lost weight actually comes from the depletion of the body’s stores of carbohydrates and the protein stored in its muscle tissue. Unfortunately, this weight is destined to come back as the dieter resumes a more normal eating pattern, and may even cause him or her to regain more weight than before.

Rapid weight loss on a crash diet is also likely to cause health problems. Common symptoms that arise from an unhealthy rate of weight loss include becoming sick more frequently, thinning hair, an increased risk of developing eating disorders, and the appearance of gallstones. For women, crash dieting may even affect the menstrual cycle. It’s clear that there are quite a few health risks associated with rapid weight loss; ask yourself if it’s worth taking those risks before embarking on a diet that promises weight loss that sounds too good to be true.

Health practitioners agree that a good general guideline for healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week. You may experience accelerated weight loss when first undertaking a new diet, but this will likely slow down fairly quickly. Making sensible choices in terms of diet and exercise, and thus losing weight at a reasonable rate, is always preferable to rapid weight loss and a crash diet, as you are more likely to reap the benefits of good health and establish good habits that will keep you feeling great.

Searching for a weight loss program that will help you to lose weight safely and successfully while you eat nutritious, healthy foods on a well-balanced diet? If so, then click here.

The Paleo Diet: A Twist on the Raw Food Diet

November 20th, 2010

Copyright 2010

Foods included in the raw food diet are meant to provide the benefits of nutrients in their natural form.Recently the Western (American) world has seen the concept of a raw food diet gaining traction in popular culture. The idea behind such a diet is that our modern methods of processing foods – farming with pesticides, genetically engineering crops to provide higher yields, stuffing animals into small cages and processing meats so that they’ll last longer – are tampering with the nutritional value and ultimately the healthiness of the food that we eat on a daily basis.

Proponents of the raw food diet argue that our ancestors didn’t have modern technology like refrigeration and pesticides, yet they survived just fine – so what’s stopping us from eating a more natural diet, composed of fresh fruits and vegetables, non-processed grains, and locally-raised meat and dairy?

It’s no secret that our modern diet is a factor in the rising rates of obesity and heart disease. So eating a raw food diet could help in our efforts to have healthier bodies, as long as our food is produced safely and is properly prepared.

One variation of the raw food diet is called the Paleolithic (paleo) diet, and it’s been growing in popularity since its creation in the 1970s.

The Paleo Diet’s beginnings can be traced to Walter L. Voegtlin, a gastroenterologist who published a book titled “The Stone Age Diet” in 1975. In it, he suggested that following a diet similar to that of a Paleolithic hunter-gatherer – essentially a caveman – would be beneficial to our health. Paleolithic humans, he argued, were mostly carnivorous, consuming large amounts of animal fats and protein along with smaller amounts of fruits and vegetables.

As the Paleolithic period predates the beginning of agriculture, most strains of the Paleo Diet also reject grain-based foods such as wheat and rice. While some versions of the Paleo Diet allow for healthy starches such as whole-grain bread, they all agree that processed grains, such as white bread, are part of the problem with the modern Western diet. They also reject dairy and processed meats. They argue that the human digestive tract has evolved over millions of years, yet has remained in its current form since Paleolithic times, which is optimized for the diet that they present.

A healthy well-balanced diet that includes raw fruits and vegetables is a great basis for losing weight.The Paleo Diet diverges from the typical raw food diet in that it allows for food to be cooked, whereas the most popular raw food diets such as the vegan and vegetarian versions are based almost entirely on uncooked food. This is in line with the lifestyle of our Paleolithic ancestors, who did have access to fire and understood that cooking food can make it more palatable. It is widely believed among anthropologists that humans were cooking 250,000 years ago and possibly as long as 500,000 years ago, while the agriculture that has allowed for processed foods and additives has only appeared within the last 10,000 years.

While the Paleo Diet is certainly colorful in its treatment of our modern Western diet, the question remains: how effective is it? In truth, the diet will likely provide a healthy alternative to the typical Western diet, though its suitability as a weight loss program is questionable.

The Paleo Diet relies heavily on a study of the Kitava tribe of Papua New Guinea, who were found to live on a hunter-gatherer diet similar to that of Paleolithic humans. They suffered from much lower rates of obesity, diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. This seems to suggest that the diet has long-term benefits to health, but may be expensive to follow as well as somewhat difficult and inflexible. The rejection of many modern foods means that the dieter will be quite limited in his or her food choices. Thus, this offshoot of the raw food diet can be considered more a lifestyle choice as opposed to a solution for losing weight.

If you are searching for a weight loss program where you can eat healthy foods that you will enjoy, but still lose the unwanted and excess weight, click here.

Antioxidants as Weight Loss Supplements

November 17th, 2010

Copyright 2010

Antioxidants found in healthy foods are great weight loss supplements...just not in the way you may think.One of the more recent buzzwords in the health and fitness worlds is “antioxidants,” but did you know that these compounds can be used as weight loss supplements along with a diet and exercise plan? Antioxidants are simply molecules appearing in many types of food that help fight the oxidation of other molecules in the body, preventing the formation of free radicals that can damage body cells.

For several years now this preventive ability has been touted as an anti-aging solution, as the damage to our cells can also damage their DNA, leading to the possible development of diseases, including cancer and diabetes. Antioxidants also protect the skin from wrinkles and sun damage as well as reducing risk of sunburn. Commonly found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, antioxidants clearly provide unique health benefits from which we can all benefit. However, there’s another great reason to include them in your diet – they can help you lose weight.

To be clear, antioxidants themselves do not actually accelerate the weight loss process. But they fit the bill perfectly as weight loss supplements – in other words, you might use them alongside a diet and exercise program to give yourself a little extra edge in your weight loss journey.

Antioxidants prove their health benefits to dieters as soon as the weight starts coming off. When our bodies burn fat, the molecules become oxidized, which leads to the release of free radicals. A diet healthy in antioxidants will mitigate the increased number of free radicals that are released as the dieter loses fat, protecting him or her from the ill effects that could result.

Antioxidants will also help reduce the amount of potentially toxic compounds in the body that are released as a result of the heavy exercise that often accompanies a weight loss program. Making sure to get enough antioxidants will also aid in replacing the nutrients that are used during muscle growth. A 2007 study, “Effects of Flavonoids and Phenolic Acids on the Inhibition of Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes” published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and reported by Science Daily, found that certain antioxidants actually reduce the number of triglycerides formed by fat cells in mice, but only more testing will determine if the same holds true for humans as well.

Eating a healthy diet, including antioxidants, will greatly benefit your weight loss efforts.In addition to the unseen health benefits of foods rich in antioxidants, it’s also a great idea to get enough of these foods because they tend to be healthy in general. For example, some of the foods containing high doses of antioxidants include soybeans, oats, corn, walnuts, berries, spinach, and Brussels sprouts. These foods make great between-meal snacks or sides for a full meal, making it easy to stave off hunger, provide the body with a range of nutrients, and get a sizable dose of antioxidants as well.

Antioxidants are also available in forms more common to weight loss supplements, such as pills and powders, but the jury is still out on them; it’s most likely quite adequate to get a decent serving of antioxidants from the food you eat, bypassing the need for an extra supplement.

While antioxidants don’t do anything to actually increase the rate of weight loss, they do function quite nicely as natural weight loss supplements. Their health benefits extend beyond just providing protection from free radicals since they’re mainly found in healthy foods, making them a good choice for any dieter regardless of his or her goals.

If you’re ready to start a weight loss program where you will enjoy great wholesome food with plenty of nutrients and great menus, click here.

Are Stimulants Safe for Use as Weight Loss Products?

November 11th, 2010

Copyright 2010

Weight loss products in the form of stimulants should be used with extreme caution.When it feels like diet and exercise just aren’t enough, many people turn to the huge market for weight loss products, and it seems like every one of them is advertised as a miracle cure. For decades scientists have strived to create products that help us lose weight, and in the process have re-purposed some substances that were not originally intended for weight loss.

One such example includes the class of drugs called stimulants. Originally noted for causing an increase in alertness, blood pressure, heart rate, and general awareness, stimulants appear in many forms, enhancing the performance of the nervous system.

Caffeine is the most common stimulant, used around the world and appearing in coffee, soft drinks, and chocolate. Other stimulants include nicotine, amphetamines, and hard drugs like MDMA and cocaine. Many weight loss products actually utilize stimulants in their chemistry. How safe is it to supplement a weight loss program with stimulant-based products? And are they even effective?

Stimulants appeared on the market as weight loss products when it was discovered that they not only act as an appetite suppressant, making it easier for dieters to restrict their intake of food, but that they also temporarily increase the body’s resting metabolic rate. This creates a two-fold effect wherein the dieter’s body burns more calories at a resting rate, while he or she also feels hungry less frequently.

For this reason, stimulants are the most common drugs used as weight loss products. They are available in both over-the-counter and prescription forms, with OTC stimulants like caffeine most often found in “supplements” while prescription weight loss stimulants more often fall into the realm of “medication” – doctor-prescribed weight loss products which are more often used to treat serious weight problems.

Speeding up your metabolism and reducing appetite sounds like a great way to lose weight. Indeed, these two effects combined will make it easier to burn more calories than you take in, which is the primary mechanic of weight loss. However, using stimulants as weight loss products does come with drawbacks.

Weight loss achieved through diet and exercise is generally safer and long-lasting.Both prescription and over-the-counter stimulants can cause side effects such as nausea, trembling, insomnia, anxiety, and agitation. More serious side effects include high blood pressure, seizures, hallucinations, and even heart attacks. In addition to these side effects, stimulants are well-known for being easily abused. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that stimulants create dependencies easily because they increase levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine causes a feeling of euphoria, and this feeling can become addictive to those who abuse stimulants.

Even if dieters successfully use stimulants as weight loss products, they might not be satisfied with the results. Since their weight loss occurs more as a result of the drugs’ effects rather than a healthy eating and exercise plan, it’s likely that the weight will return once the medication is stopped. To keep this weight off, users would have to continue the stimulant use, leading to an increased risk of abuse and dependency as time wears on.

While stimulants are available in both over-the-counter and prescription forms, dieters should not take this to mean that they’re absolutely safe for use as weight loss products. Even if a stimulant is doctor-prescribed, it carries risks that must be taken into account and discussed with the physician. In any case, relying solely on a stimulant as a vehicle for weight loss is ill-advised. At the very least, a stimulant taken for weight loss should be accompanied by a sensible plan for diet and exercise that is not totally dependent on the stimulant.

If you are searching for a safe weight loss program to lose weight successfully without the use of stimulants, click here.

3 Characteristics of Diets That Work

November 7th, 2010

Copyright 2010

Failing to find diets that work leads to an endless and unhealthy dieting cycle.Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an easy way to separate the diets that work from those that aren’t so effective? There is an absolutely overwhelming number of diet plans out there, and probably just as many health experts claiming to have the solution to all your weight loss problems.

It can be difficult at first glance to sort through the multitude of information and sales pitches that are presented with the typical diet plan. This means that just finding out exactly what a diet entails can require research not only into the diet itself, but also into the principles on which the diet is founded. Is the weight loss plan based on scientific studies and established dietary theories, or is it simply a scam that throws around buzzwords to sound more legitimate?

It might be harder than it sounds to tell the difference. Fortunately, there are a few characteristics that can help to point you in the right direction when you’re looking for diets that work. Research every diet plan that you come across and try to spot these positive traits. They’re clues that a diet is based on legitimate theories and sound nutritional science.

First, diets that work are upfront and transparent regarding their requirements and guidelines.

A good diet plan has nothing to hide because it’s not based on speculation or guesswork, but rather well-researched and verified studies. Have you ever seen a sales pitch for a diet plan that boasted about being the “secret of the stars,” the “best-kept secret,” or something similar, all the while failing to convey any information about the actual diet?

Unfortunately, many diet plans are full of marketing and hype. They provide vague promises instead of useful information to the potential dieter, and for good reason – they often don’t offer much of value, especially after the plan is purchased. Legitimate diet plans also make sales pitches, but they tend to emphasize authoritative information and a thorough explanation of how and why their weight loss plan works; providing more substance over hype.

Second, diets that work are focused on educating the dieter rather than simply serving up meal plan after meal plan.

Finding the weight loss plan that works for you ends the failure of cyclical dieting.Anyone can sketch out a week of meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but what about these meals is helping the dieter to lose weight? If the diet program doesn’t explain why these foods are healthy or why they’re encouraging the dieter to lose weight, it’s failing the dieter in the most fundamental way: it isn’t providing education and guidance, which should be a primary goal of every diet program.

Diets that work will not only lay out meal plans, but will explain the nutritional science behind these foods, leaving the dieter with a deeper understanding of human physiology as it relates to food and also teaching a lesson that lasts a lifetime.

Finally, diets that work are realistic.

We are only human, after all, and we naturally enjoy a wide range of foods (as nature intended), even some that aren’t so great for us occasionally. The creators of legitimate weight loss plans understand the temptation of the foods around us and usually do not exclude entire food groups or even an occasional “cheat meal” from the menu.

Not only does our food keep us energized, but it provides vitamins and minerals that are essential for optimal health. Thus, the best diet plans typically recommend a healthy mix of many food types, as opposed to limiting oneself to one or two, and eliminating the nutritional benefits of the others. Successful diets allow us room to indulge in all the foods across the spectrum, though obviously some foods, such as sweets, should be included in moderation.

Sorting through the multitude of available diet plans and evaluating their promises objectively can be a daunting task. However, keep an eye out for these characteristics in your research and you’ll find that it’s much easier to identify the diets that work from the duds.

If you’ve been searching for a successful solution to dieting and want to find a weight loss program that can stop the endless diet cycle for you, click here.

Lose Weight Quickly With High-Intensity Interval Training

November 7th, 2010

Copyright 2010

High Intensity Interval Training can be an attractive exercise option.Ideally, any plan to lose weight quickly should include both diet and exercise. Most experts in the nutritional health field agree that it’s simply impossible to lose weight permanently and successfully without the proper diet, citing studies such as those conducted by the Loyola University Health System, which showed that thinner women did not necessarily engage in higher levels of activity.

However, while a proper diet may be the primary driving force behind weight loss, exercise should not be neglected, as it provides health benefits in addition to calorie-burning properties that make it so popular with dieters who want to lose weight quickly.

When people think of “exercising” they typically think of cardio, or exercise specifically intended to increase the heart rate and keep the cardiovascular system healthy. The rigorous physical activity involved in a cardio workout causes the body to use up quite a bit of energy, thus promoting a caloric deficit that leads to weight loss.

The cardio workout of a typical dieter can last 30 minutes or even an hour. These long workouts can easily be incompatible with the fast pace of modern living, so dieters sometimes find themselves unable to spend as much time on cardio as they’d like.

Fortunately, there is an alternative to these long workouts: high-intensity interval training is a type of cardio that focuses on short bursts of physical effort rather than the drawn-out pace of typical cardio exercise.

A high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercise is composed of several different stages. A warm-up exercise at a moderate rate of exertion starts out the workout, but it soon diverts from a typical cardio workout by introducing “sprint” sections of extreme exertion.

For example, in an HIIT running workout, the runner would start at a moderate warm-up pace for a few minutes before launching into a full-on sprint, often at the limit of his or her abilities. The sprint, or interval, is maintained for a set period of time, typically 15 or 30 seconds. The runner then returns to his or her previous moderate running speed to “cool down.” After a set amount of time, the runner sprints again, and so on. This cycle is usually repeated 6-8 times followed by a “cool down” period of moderately intense activity for a few minutes. Beginners will likely find themselves unable to complete more than two or three intervals as the exercise can be quite demanding.

Your overall weight loss program may benefit from High Intensity Interval Training.There are several documented benefits to HIIT that make it preferable to regular cardio, including providing an extra edge to those looking to lose weight quickly. A 2001 graduate study at East Tennessee State University found that HIIT increases resting metabolic rate for 24 hours after the workout is completed. This means that although the body is no longer engaged in heavy physical activity, it continues to burn energy at a higher rate than normal. This increase in metabolic rate does not occur with traditional cardio, or at least not as drastically. The extreme physical exertion that HIIT requires also means that exercises can be completed in a far shorter amount of time with similar results, and HIIT appears to preserve muscle mass more than traditional cardio exercise.

Anyone who is looking to lose weight quickly should carefully consider his or her options in both diet and exercise. Diet is the most important factor in weight loss, but exercise should not be discounted, and for those looking to give themselves an extra edge in their journey towards weight loss, HIIT is a good option that will speed up weight loss without monopolizing too much of the dieter’s time.

Are Weight Loss Pills Addictive?

October 31st, 2010

Copyright 2010

Weight Loss Pills can seem an easy dieting solution, but beware.The history of weight loss pills dates back to the 1930s, when two physicians at Stanford University discovered that the industrial compound dinitrophenol could speed up metabolism in humans.

Ever since then, weight loss pills have been a huge part of the diet industry: they seem to present a nearly effortless solution to weight loss. Even at their often expensive prices, wouldn’t it be worth the money if you could just take a few pills to lose weight instead of having to research healthy diets, avoid the temptation of junk food, and spend all that time on the treadmill?

Weight loss pills are an extremely seductive solution to the problem of obesity, but they have a very mixed record.

Some have been effective, some have not, and some have actually caused death – a prominent example being the fenfluramine and phentermine (fen-phen) combination that rose to fame in the 1990s. While the efficacy of weight loss pills has been in question since they were first introduced, an even darker threat looms behind the promise of easy weight loss: the possibility of addiction.

Weight loss pills employ a variety of chemicals and compounds that work in a variety of different ways. Some simply suppress the appetite while others speed up metabolism. Still others prevent the absorption of dietary fat by the digestive tract.

While some of the substances used may be dangerous (or have the potential for dangerous side affects) on their own or in combination with others, some of them also have known addictive qualities, and these are the pills that are especially dangerous. Pills that contain amphetamines, tranquilizers, stimulants such as ephedra and caffeine, or phenylpropranolamine can be addictive, especially if they are abused.

Dieters can also become psychologically addicted to pills by reasoning that if one or two doses helps them lose weight, then three or four would be an even bigger help.

Many dieters begin using weight loss pills responsibly but ultimately ingest more than the recommended dosage, either because they don’t seem to be effective or because they’re very effective. The psychological reward that comes with losing weight can push a dieter to feel that he or she “needs” the pills to lose weight and feel good.

Weight loss pills can pose an additional risk to dieters because many non-prescription pills are considered “supplements” and thus are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration until it has time to study them. Non-regulated weight loss pills pose an especially high risk because it’s impossible for the average dieter to tell exactly what’s in them. They may contain substances that have previously been deemed harmful by the FDA, but are allowed on the market until a judgment can be made that they’re unfit for consumers.Choosing to diet safely and sensibly is the greatest weight loss success!

The FDA maintains a list on its website of the supplements that it has deemed unsafe. It states that these supplements may contain undeclared ingredients that are harmful to dieters or even prescription drugs in doses far higher than is recommended.

There is quite a bit of bad press surrounding weight loss pills, and for good reason: non-prescription pills may contain harmful substances; and even prescription pills may or may not be effective. If a dieter chooses to use such supplements, he or she should search for those that are FDA-approved. The dieter should also be careful to follow dosing instructions carefully, and to seek help if he or she feels symptoms of addiction or withdrawal. At any rate, weight loss pills are no substitute for a sensible diet and exercise plan when it comes to losing weight.

If you want to lose weight safely and successfully without diet pills, click here: diet program.