Eating Disorders Facts About Eating Disorders and the Search for Solutions

Eating is controlled by many factors, including appetite, food availability, family, peer, and cultural practices, and attempts at voluntary control. Dieting to a body weight leaner than needed for health is highly promoted by current fashion trends, sales campaigns for special foods, and in some activities and professions. Eating disorders involve serious disturbances in eating behavior, such as extreme and unhealthy reduction of food intake or severe overeating, as well as feelings of distress or extreme concern about body shape or weight. Researchers are investigating how and why initially voluntary behaviors, such as eating smaller or larger amounts of food than usual, at some point move beyond control in some people and develop into an eating disorder. Studies on the basic biology of appetite control and its alteration by prolonged overeating or starvation have uncovered enormous complexity, but in the long run have the potential to lead to new pharmacologic treatment s for eating disorders.

Eating disorders are not due to a failure of will or behavior; rather, they are real, treatable medical illnesses in which certain maladaptive patterns of eating take on a life of their own. The main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. A third type, binge-eating disorder, has been suggested but has not yet been approved as a formal psychiatric diagnosis. Eating disorders frequently develop during adolescence or early adulthood, but some reports indicate their onset can occur during childhood or later in adulthood.

Eating disorders frequently co-occur with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders. In addition, people who suffer from eating disorders can experience a wide range of physical health complications, including serious heart conditions and kidney failure which may lead to death. Recognition of eating disorders as real and treatable diseases, therefore, is critically important.

Females are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. Only an estimated 5 to 15 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia and an estimated 35 percent of those with binge-eating disorder are male.

Anorexia Nervosa

An estimated 0.5 to 3.7 percent of females suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetime. Symptoms of anorexia nervosa include:

Resistance to maintaining body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height

Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight

Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight

Infrequent or absent menstrual periods (in females who have reached puberty)

People with this disorder see themselves as overweight even though they are dangerously thin. The process of eating becomes an obsession. Unusual eating habits develop, such as avoiding food and meals, picking out a few foods and eating these in small quantities, or carefully weighing and portioning food. People with anorexia may repeatedly check their body weight, and many engage in other techniques to control their weight, such as intense and compulsive exercise, or purging by means of vomiting and abuse of laxatives, enemas, and diuretics. Girls with anorexia often experience a delayed onset of their first menstrual period.

The course and outcome of anorexia nervosa vary across individuals: some fully recover after a single episode; some have a fluctuating pattern of weight gain and relapse; and others experience a chronically deteriorating course of illness over many years. The mortality rate among people with anorexia has been estimated at 0.56 percent per year, or approximately 5.6 percent per decade, which is about 12 times higher than the annual death rate due to all causes of death among females ages 15-24 in the general population. The most common causes of death are complications of the disorder, such as cardiac arrest or electrolyte imbalance, and suicide.

Bulimia Nervosa

An estimated 1.1 percent to 4.2 percent of females have bulimia nervosa in their lifetime. Symptoms of bulimia nervosa include:

Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and by a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode

Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications (purging); fasting; or excessive exercise

The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors both occur, on average, at least twice a week for 3 months

Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight

Because purging or other compensatory behavior follows the binge-eating episodes, people with bulimia usually weigh within the normal range for their age and height. However, like individuals with anorexia, they may fear gaining weight, desire to lose weight, and feel intensely dissatisfied with their bodies. People with bulimia often perform the behaviors in secrecy, feeling disgusted and ashamed when they binge, yet relieved once they purge.

Binge-Eating Disorder

Community surveys have estimated that between 2 percent and 5 percent of Americans experience binge-eating disorder in a 6-month period. Symptoms of binge-eating disorder include:

Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and by a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode

The binge-eating episodes are associated with at least 3 of the following: eating much more rapidly than normal; eating until feeling uncomfortably full; eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry; eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating; feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating

Marked distress about the binge-eating behavior

The binge eating occurs, on average, at least 2 days a week for 6 months

The binge eating is not associated with the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors (e.g., purging, fasting, excessive exercise)

People with binge-eating disorder experience frequent episodes of out-of-control eating, with the same binge-eating symptoms as those with bulimia. The main difference is that individuals with binge-eating disorder do not purge their bodies of excess calories. Therefore, many with the disorder are overweight for their age and height. Feelings of self-disgust and shame associated with this illness can lead to bingeing again, creating a cycle of binge eating.

Treatment Strategies

Eating disorders can be treated and a healthy weight restored. The sooner these disorders are diagnosed and treated, the better the outcomes are likely to be. Because of their complexity, eating disorders require a comprehensive treatment plan involving medical care and monitoring, psychosocial interventions, nutritional counseling and, when appropriate, medication management. At the time of diagnosis, the clinician must determine whether the person is in immediate danger and requires hospitalization.

Treatment of anorexia calls for a specific program that involves three main phases: (1) restoring weight lost to severe dieting and purging; (2) treating psychological disturbances such as distortion of body image, low self-esteem, and interpersonal conflicts; and (3) achieving long-term remission and rehabilitation, or full recovery. Early diagnosis and treatment increases the treatment success rate. Use of psychotropic medication in people with anorexia should be considered only after weight gain has been established. Certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs ) have been shown to be helpful for weight maintenance and for resolving mood and anxiety symptoms associated with anorexia.

The acute management of severe weight loss is usually provided in an inpatient hospital setting, where feeding plans address the person's medical and nutritional needs. In some cases, intravenous feeding is recommended. Once malnutrition has been corrected and weight gain has begun, psychotherapy (often cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal psychotherapy) can help people with anorexia overcome low self-esteem and address distorted thought and behavior patterns. Families are sometimes included in the therapeutic process.

The primary goal of treatment for bulimia is to reduce or eliminate binge eating and purging behavior. To this end, nutritional rehabilitation, psychosocial intervention, and medication management strategies are often employed. Establishment of a pattern of regular, non-binge meals, improvement of attitudes related to the eating disorder, encouragement of healthy but not excessive exercise, and resolution of co-occurring conditions such as mood or anxiety disorders are among the specific aims of these strategies. Individual psychotherapy (especially cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal psychotherapy), group psychotherapy that uses a cognitive-behavioral approach, and family or marital therapy have been reported to be effective. Psychotropic medications, primarily antidepressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs ), have been found helpful for people with bulimia, particularly those with significant symptoms of depression or anxiety, or those who have not responded adequately to psychosocial treatment alone. These medications also may help prevent relapse. The treatment goals and strategies for binge-eating disorder are similar to those for bulimia, and studies are currently evaluating the effectiveness of various interventions.

People with eating disorders often do not recognize or admit that they are ill. As a result, they may strongly resist getting and staying in treatment. Family members or other trusted individuals can be helpful in ensuring that the person with an eating disorder receives needed care and rehabilitation. For some people, treatment may be long term.

Research Findings and Directions

Research is contributing to advances in the understanding and treatment of eating disorders.

NIMH-funded scientists and others continue to investigate the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions, medications, and the combination of these treatments with the goal of improving outcomes for people with eating disorders.

Research on interrupting the binge-eating cycle has shown that once a structured pattern of eating is established, the person experiences less hunger, less deprivation, and a reduction in negative feelings about food and eating. The two factors that increase the likelihood of bingeinghunger and negative feelingsare reduced, which decreases the frequency of binges.

Several family and twin studies are suggestive of a high heritability of anorexia and bulimia, and researchers are searching for genes that confer susceptibility to these disorders. Scientists suspect that multiple genes may interact with environmental and other factors to increase the risk of developing these illnesses. Identification of susceptibility genes will permit the development of improved treatments for eating disorders.

Other studies are investigating the neurobiology of emotional and social behavior relevant to eating disorders and the neuroscience of feeding behavior.

Scientists have learned that both appetite and energy expenditure are regulated by a highly complex network of nerve cells and molecular messengers called neuropeptides . These and future discoveries will provide potential targets for the development of new pharmacologic treatments for eating disorders.

Further insight is likely to come from studying the role of gonadal steroids. Their relevance to eating disorders is suggested by the clear gender effect in the risk for these disorders, their emergence at puberty or soon after, and the increased risk for eating disorders among girls with early onset of menstruation

Anorexia Nervosa

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Anorexia Nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.

Anorexia Nervosa has four primary symptoms:

Resistance to maintaining body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height

Intense fear of weight gain or being fat even though underweight.

Disturbance in the experience of body weight or shape, undue influence of weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of low body weight.

Loss of menstrual periods in girls and women post-puberty.

Eating disorders experts have found that prompt intensive treatment significantly improves the chances of recovery. Therefore, it is important to be aware of some of the warning signs of anorexia nervosa.

Warning Signs of Anorexia Nervosa:

Dramatic weight loss.

Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting.

Refusal to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions against whole categories of food (e.g. no carbohydrates, etc.).

Frequent comments about feeling fat or overweight despite weight loss.

Anxiety about gaining weight or being fat.

Denial of hunger.

Development of food rituals (e.g. eating foods in certain orders, excessive chewing, rearranging food on a plate).

Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food.

Excessive, rigid exercise regimen--despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury--the need to burn off calories taken in.

Withdrawal from usual friends and activities.

In general, behaviors and attitudes indicating that weight loss, dieting, and control of food are becoming primary concerns.

Anorexia nervosa involves self-starvation. The body is denied the essential nutrients it needs to function normally, so it is forced to slow down all of its processes to conserve energy. This slowing down can have serious medical consequences.

Health Consequences of Anorexia Nervosa:

Abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure, which mean that the heart muscle is changing. The risk for heart failure rises as heart rate and blood pressure levels sink lower and lower.

Reduction of bone density (osteoporosis), which results in dry, brittle bones.

Muscle loss and weakness.

Severe dehydration, which can result in kidney failure.

Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness.

Dry hair and skin, hair loss is common.

Growth of a downy layer of hair called lanugo all over the body, including the face, in an effort to keep the body warm.

Statistics About Anorexia Nervosa:

Approximately 90-95% of anorexia nervosa sufferers are girls and women (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).

Between 0.5-1% of American women suffer from anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in young women (Hsu, 1996).

Between 5-20% of individuals struggling with anorexia nervosa will die. The probabilities of death increases within that range depending on the length of the condition ( Zerbe, 1995).

Anorexia nervosa has one of the highest death rates of any mental health condition.

Anorexia nervosa typically appears in early to mid-adolescence.

Anorexia Nervosa in Males

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Anorexia nervosa is a severe, life-threatening disorder in which the individual refuses to maintain a minimally normal body weight, is intensely afraid of gaining weight, and exhibits a significant distortion in the perception of the shape or size of his body, as well as dissatisfaction with his body shape and size.

Behavioral Characteristics:

Excessive dieting, fasting, restricted diet

Food rituals

Preoccupation with body building, weight lifting, or muscle toning

Compulsive exercise

Difficulty eating with others, lying about eating

Frequently weighing self

Preoccupation with food

Focus on certain body parts; e.g., buttocks, thighs, stomach

Disgust with body size or shape

Distortion of body size; i.e., feels fat even though others tell him he is already very thin

Emotional and Mental Characteristics:

Intense fear of becoming fat or gaining weight

Depression

Social isolation

Strong need to be in control

Rigid, inflexible thinking, all or nothing

Decreased interest in sex or fears around sex

Possible conflict over gender identity or sexual orientation

Low sense of self worth -- uses weight as a measure of worth

Difficulty expressing feelings

Perfectionistic -- strives to be the neatest, thinnest, smartest, etc.

Difficulty thinking clearly or concentrating

Irritability, denial -- believes others are overreacting to his low weight or caloric restriction

Insomnia

Physical Characteristics:

Low body weight (15% or more below what is expected for age, height, activity level)

Lack of energy, fatigue

Muscular weakness

Decreased balance, unsteady gait

Lowered body temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate

Tingling in hands and feet

Thinning hair or hair loss

Lanugo (downy growth of body hair)

Heart arrhythmia

Lowered testosterone levels

Anorexia, Bulimia, & Binge Eating Disorder:

What is an Eating Disorder?

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Eating Disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder include extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues.

They are serious emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences for females and males.

ANOREXIA NERVOSA is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.

Symptoms include:

Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for height, body type, age, and activity level

Intense fear of weight gain or being fat

Feeling fat or overweight despite dramatic weight loss

Loss of menstrual periods

Extreme concern with body weight and shape BULIMIA NERVOSA is characterized by a secretive cycle of binge eating followed by purging. Bulimia includes eating large amounts of food--more than most people would eat in one meal--in short periods of time, then getting rid of the food and calories through vomiting, laxative abuse, or over-exercising.

Symptoms include:

Repeated episodes of bingeing and purging

Feeling out of control during a binge and eating beyond the point of comfortable fullness

Purging after a binge, (typically by self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, diet pills and/or diuretics, excessive exercise, or fasting)

Frequent dieting

Extreme concern with body weight and shape BINGE EATING DISORDER (also known as COMPULSIVE OVEREATING) is characterized primarily by periods of uncontrolled, impulsive, or continuous eating beyond the point of feeling comfortably full. While there is no purging, there may be sporadic fasts or repetitive diets and often feelings of shame or self-hatred after a binge. People who overeat compulsively may struggle with anxiety, depression, and loneliness, which can contribute to their unhealthy episodes of binge eating. Body weight may vary from normal to mild, moderate, or severe obesity.

OTHER EATING DISORDERS can include some combination of the signs and symptoms of anorexia, bulimia, and/or binge eating disorder. While these behaviors may not be clinically considered a full syndrome eating disorder, they can still be physically dangerous and emotionally draining. All eating disorders require professional help.

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Running and Jogging 101 - A quick start guide

Hopefully a helpful guide for those of you looking to start jogging or running for weight loss or fitness.

Running lowers your resting heart rate, increases your aerobic capacity, reduces body fat and increases muscle tone, all of which improve your base level of fitness and amongst other things, make you feel damn good about yourself!

If fat loss is your ultimate aim then running is a good starting point. By improving your base level of fitness you are not only burning calories while running but are increasing your metabolism, which results in greater fat mobilisation even after exercise.

If you are looking to increase your fitness or undertake High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) than running is also a good starting point as by improving your base level of fitness you are preparing your body to be able to cope with higher intensity training and instead of wheezing to a stop after a few minutes of such sessions you wil l be able to sustain your efforts for longer, burning more calories and building more fitness.

You don't need any fancy equipment or expensive gym memberships to start running, but there are a few tips that you can follow to ensure you are both getting the most out of your running and also minimising your risk of injury.

I have written this guide from my experiences as a serious club runner of five years and have drawn on knowledge taken from my athletics and running coaching qualification, which i am currently undertaking. I hope it helps.


What do you need to consider before you start running?

As with starting any sport you should alwaysconsult a doctor if you have any underlying health problems that you think could either be made worse by running or could adversely affect your running performance. If you are overweight then you should consult your doctor as a matter of course as running pla ces a large amount of stress on venerable ankle, knee and hip joints which may already be delicate on an overweight person.

Adequate footwear is a very important part of running. Although most people shouldn't need to spend a fortune on top of the line running trainers, it is important that you consider the following points:

Make sure that your running shoe offers both padding and ankle support otherwise you run the risk of impact injuries such as stress fractures and joint damage, and also may be prone to twisted ankles, especially in the first few weeks of running until you build up the strength in your tendons. If you know you are flat footed or have collapsed arches then you may be what is known as a pronator' this is where the foot rolls excessively outwards whilst you are running and is very common in runners of all levels. If you think you may be a pronator then you can get checked in any good running shoe store and such stores will test for this when they advise you on what shoe to buy anyway. If you are a pronator then it is nothing to worry about but you will need to buy a pair of what are known as stability trainers' which control the excess roll of your foot and reduce the stress to your joints that running will cause.

Your First Run

When you are just starting out as a new runner it is important that you take it slowly to begin with until your body gets used to your new sport. Failure to do so might result in injury and put your weight loss and fitness plan on hold; which is not what anyone wants!
Your first run should be more of a walk/shuffle/jog as you see how your body adapts. Begin with a warm up of ten minutes of walking and then try and jog at an even pace for say five minutes. After this five minutes, if you are feeling out of breath, slow down and walk for two minutes to get your breath back before picking up the pace again and jogging for another five minutes. Maintain this pattern a few more times, before walking for another ten minutes as a cool down. The aim of this session is for you to see you fitness level so you can gauge how to approach your next run.

If you found this first session easy and weren't out of breath at all then in future sessions you will want to increase the time of the jogging periods and/or reduce the amount of rest time in-between each jogging interval. If you found this first session hard or did two jogging intervals instead of four then you might want to repeat this session before beginning to build up the time you spend running and decreasing the amount of time you spend walking in-between each jogging interval.


Technique

Technique is very important when you are new to running as if you learn correct body posture and form at this early stage then it will be a lot easier than re learning it at a later stage.

Good running technique is important as it enables you to run efficiently, which means you can run or longer with less effort. Also, from a health point of view, if you maintain good running form then you will minimise your risk of running related injuries.

When you are running, you should have a relatively straight back and be bending ever so slightly forward from the waist. Usually, people have problems with this because they are looking down at their feet and so if you look forward instead of down your body should naturally align itself. Running bend over is not good running posture as you will b e putting a large amount of strain on your lower back.

You arms should be bent at the elbows and loosely tucked into the site of your body. They should also naturally swing perpendicular and you should try not to be stiff or tense up whilst running by relaxing your shoulders. As you speed up you will find that you swing your arms more to compensate for your increased stride, but try not to let your arms swing horizontally across the front of your body as you will be putting alot of lateral force on your pelvis.

When it comes to your running stride, you should aim to move your legs in an almost cycling manner, bending them at the knees and making sure you keep your feet relatively in line with the direction you are running for the most efficient stride. You should also try not to place each leading footfall too far away from your body, as it it better to take lots of smaller steps than longer ones to begin with as this will minimise the impact of each st ride and will help your joints stay injury free.

This may be a lot to think about at first but over time you will find that you develop an efficient running style that you will automatically revert to when you go out on your runs.


How to progress after the first few weeks.

Before long you will find that you are able to jog for a sustained period of time without walking and you will be surprised at how far you have come since your first session. The aim now is to build up the distance and speed of your runs so that your body is continually being challenged and as a result your fitness will continue to improve.

You should try to aim for at least three 20-30minute runs a week to have the maximum impact on fitness and weight loss without increasing your risk of injury. As the months progress and you feel yourself becoming fitter then you should definitely increase your distance, speed and number of runs to whate ver you feel comfortable with.

As a general rule, you shouldn't increase your weekly mileage or speed by any more than 10% as this gives your body change to a repair and adapt to running at long distances. Obviously this is not an exact science as if this were the case, within six months you would be running over 50miles, so only bear this rule in mind as a general guide.

You will find that after a period of time where it was easy to add time and distance to your running your training will stagnate and it will become more difficult to add either speed or distance to your runs. This is natural and as with any sport, perseverance, some good guidance and a lot of hard work will see you make continual improvements in your running performance.


So how does all this help me loose weight?

If you have done a few months of running then, with all other things held constant, you will already have noticed the difference. You will feel great, have lost weight and will have toned up and it will all be thanks to your hard work. The simple rule of weight loss is that i you use more energy than you consume then you will loose weight as your body used stored fat reserves to run your body. A thirty minute run can burn upward of 500calories depending on your weight and exertion and increases your metabolism so your body convert more fat stores to energy even after you stop exercising.


How to take running further.

This guide was written as an introduction to running for weight loss but there are many more articles and resources available on the internet that can help you gain the most out of running, whether you are looking for morerunning tips, enter your first race,improve your running times, try a different kind of running such as hill running or trail running, or just improve your technique and stayinjury free .

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Five Simple Steps Toward Creating The Perfect Weight Loss Plans

There are many different weight loss plans that can be used for losing unwanted body weight. But in this article you will discover how instead of using an "in-effective" weight loss approach like a low calorie diet or a fad diet, you can design your own personal weight loss program that can help you to create permanent fat loss!

By the way, permanent fat loss is when you reach your ideal body weight and then maintain it for life! I also like to call it "irreversible, long-term weight loss success" because once you reach your main target weight -- you never re-gain the unwanted body fat that you worked so hard to lose! Isn't this what you truly want to achieve when you decide to start a weight loss program?

Diets, diet pills, appetite suppressants and other "flawed" weight loss strategies and products are simply a waste of your precious time and hard-earned money! To create a lean, healthy body in the long term, a completely different approach has to b e used, and it should include only proper nutrition and exercise.

There are a few serious problems with using someone else's weight loss plan for creating permanent fat loss. The first, and most obvious, is that it wasn't custom tailored to your wants and needs. Second, it doesn't take into account your physiological characteristics. The person that designed it didn't know if you have an endomorph, ectomorph or a mesomorph dominant body type.

Without taking into account your own personal wants, needs and your body type it is impossible to design an effective nutrition and exercise program that will help you to "effectively" lose unwanted body fat and eventually create permanent fat loss.

Conventional diets, fad diets, diet pills, appetite suppressants that promise quick weight loss in reality lead to muscle loss, water loss, and slow down your metabolism. When this happens your body can't burn calories efficiently and eventually you always hi t a weight loss plateau.

In addition to this -- your organism will continue to increase your appetite because it is not getting what it needs to function properly on a daily basis -- and eventually "massive hunger" will force you to start consuming more food than your body can realistically burn during the day!

Obviously, when this happens, the little weight that you lost using in-effective weight loss approaches and products will be all gained back!

Considering that conventional diets, fad diets, diet pills, appetite suppressants have an almost 100% failure rate -- I would recommend that you avoid using them -- if you want to reach your ideal weight and then maintain it for life.

Your first step toward designing your own weight loss plans is to always start at the end!

What result do you want to create when you arrive at the end of your weight loss journey? Answering this question should be the first step that you take when you start to design your own personal weight loss plans that will help you to create permanent fat loss.

The process that you will use to create the body of your dreams should be designed taking into account the end result that you want to bring into reality. The reason for this is simple: Before you start taking your first steps you must know exactly in what direction you are heading!

If you want to go from where you are right now to reaching your ideal body weight and bringing into reality the body of your dreams I would strongly recommend that you spend some time on creating a goal chart with all the steps that you will take in your weight loss journey!

This brings us to the second part of the first step, which is to objectively observe your current circumstances. Current reality is the only place where you can begin to create the body of your dreams. So before you actually start to use proper nutrition and exercise in order to create a lean, healthy body, decide exactly where you are going and simultaneously observe where you are right now.

This means you have to honestly write down your currently total body weight, your current body fat percentage, your current nutrition strategy, and your current exercise strategy. If you don't have nutrition and exercise strategies -- simply write down what you eat on a daily basis and the exercises that you do.

When you take these two first steps, only then you are ready to start working on the process that will help you to get from where you are right now to where you want to be in the future when you create a lean, attractive body that is filled with health and vitality!

The major reason why most people can't bring into reality the body of their dreams is because they do not know how to create the drive and the non-stop motivation to keep moving toward their major health goals through the toughest parts of their weight loss program wit hout quitting, giving up and throwing in the white towel!
Before we continue, I want to mention that the process for losing unwanted body fat is very simple to describe, but it is not that easy to implement for most people. And if you were born with an endomorph dominant body type, and have a slow metabolism -- it can be very hard!

Knowing this can help you to accept this part of reality -- and can help you to keep moving toward your major health goal -- even if you fall off the wagon a few times during your weight loss journey!

Your second step toward designing your own weight loss plans is to create your own weight loss chart!

The second step that you should take toward reaching your ideal weight is to create your own weekly weight loss chart. This is actually part of tracking current reality and helps you to track your weight loss results on a weekly basis.

By simultaneously focusing on what you desire and where you are in the present moment you will create the energy that can hel p you to keep moving and moving toward reaching your ideal body weight!

The weekly weight loss chart is what will keep you on track, and at the same time it will help to fuel your movement toward your major goal. This is the approach that I used to lose over 110 pounds of unwanted body fat in 12 months. By focusing on my current reality on a daily basis I was able to adjust my weight loss approach until I found the nutrition and exercise strategies that worked especially well for me.

If you want to produce similar results in your weight loss program, I recommend that you design your own weight loss plans using the strategies in this article -- and start moving toward creating irreversible, long-term weight loss success today!

Your third step toward designing your own weight loss plans is to create a nutrition approach that works especially well for you!

Once you have designed your own goal setting chart and created your own weekly weight loss chart, your next step in the design of your weight loss plan should be to custom tailor your own nutrition unique approach that you will use to reach your ideal body weight.

To create irreversible, long-term weight loss success -- the food that you consume on a daily basis should be used mostly to maintain your current weight. You can create a small calorie deficit by using the thermic effect of food sources like lean protein and natural complex carbohydrates.

One of the biggest mistakes made by the majority of dieters is that they attempt to "diet off" their fat instead of burning it off directly using an effective exercise strategy. Trying to lose body fat using conventional diets, fad diets, diet pills, and/or appetite suppressants will always backfire, because your body requires an optimum amount of food on a daily basis to function properly.

When you do not provide your organism with what it requires on a daily basis, it will force you to consume more food through different mechanisms that produce "massive hunger." When this happens you will give up your weight loss approach and start to overeat on a daily basis. When this happens -- all the weight that you lost using these "flawed" approaches and products -- will simply be re-gained!

It is very important that your custom tailored weight loss plan includes the basics and fundamentals of proper nutrition. And one of the most important elements of proper nutrition is to consume natural, unprocessed and unrefined food sources as much as possible.

When designing your own weight loss plan there are some other very important things that you must take into account. When it comes to creating permanent fat loss your daily calorie intake plays a large role in helping you to create this result. Make sure that you calculate your optimum daily calorie intake for yourself -- taking into account your current lean body mass. This is the mo st effective way to get this number right.

Choosing the right nutrient ratios is also a part of a healthy diet plan that will help your body to efficiently burn off the calories that are consumed by you on a daily basis. Nutrient ratios are simply the percentage of the calories that come from the carbohydrates, protein, and dietary fat that you consume on a daily basis.

Last but not least, an effective weight loss plan must also include the proper meal frequency and meal timming approach. Eating four average size meals, every four hours of the day, is the best way to help your body to completely burn off the calories in these meals.

Your fourth step toward designing your own weight loss plans is to create an exercise approach that works especially well for you!

The next step after designing your own nutrition strategy, should be to design your own exercise approach. This step will help you to burn off the unwanted body fat that you currently have stored inside your fat cells more effectively than any other step in your weight loss plans.

The first part of using exercise to burn off unwanted body fat should include cardio workout routines that you use on a regular basis. Cardiovascular exercise will help you to burn off the unwanted body fat directly, and is without a doubt the major secret for creating permanent fat loss. Without making cardio part of your weight loss plan, reaching and then maintaining your ideal body weight is almost impossible!

To lose unwanted body fat you must create a calorie deficit, and cardio training is the most effective way that this can be accomplished without slowing down your metabolism.

The most important thing to know about cardio, is that you can choose to either work out with high intensity for a short period of time, work out with medium intensity for a moderate amount of time, or work out with low intensity for a long time period, and accomplish the same calorie burning result.

This is very important because there is a myth when it comes to cardio training that you must burn a lot of body fat to produce long term weight loss results using a certain intensity while working out.

And the fact is that this is simply not true. The only thing that matters when it comes to creating permanent fat loss is the number of total calories burned, and not if they come mostly from burning fat or from carbohydrates as an energy source.

When you are doing cardio, you are always burning both fat and carbohydrates, the only difference is that you are burning them in different ratios depending on the intensity you are using. But when it is all said and done, what matters is the total amount of calories that you burn, period!

Weight training is the second part of creating an effective weight loss plan and should be used for maintaining your current muscle mass. Your muscle is a m etabolically active tissue and your body must spend a lot of energy (calories) to maintain it.

This means that if you lose muscle during your weight loss program, your metabolism will slow down, and what was once your daily maintenance calorie intake will become a surplus, and eventually this can lead to long term weight gain.

When you are in your weight loss phase of your program you will always lose some muscle no matter how perfect you eat, or with what intensity you do cardio training. To maintain your muscle and avoid muscle loss, weight training is simply a must.

Weight training helps to maintain your current muscle mass -- which helps to keep your metabolism elevated. Obviously this will help your organism to keep burning as many calories as possible during the day, and will help you to keep in the direction of creating permanent fat loss.

Weight training is necessary for both men and women, and the approach to weight traini ng is similar for both sexes. The only difference is the actual weight and intensity that you work out with. An effective weight loss plan will always include both cardio and weight training as part of the strategy to reach your ideal body weight!

Your fifth step toward designing your own weight loss plans is to create a single-minded focus on hitting your main target without ever quitting or giving up!

The final step in your own personally designed weight loss plan should be to decide that no matter what happens, that you will keep going until you bring your major health goal into reality. And once you reach your ideal weight, that you will do everything to maintain it for life!

Making this choice is very important, and will help you to get through the toughest parts of your weight loss program. When the going gets tough, this fundamental choice will tremendously help you to stay focused on your major health goal and at the same time to focu s where you are in the present moment.

If you create your goal setting chart and keep track of your results using your weekly weight loss chart, this will help you to always keep moving in the right direction. There is nothing that will produce the drive and non-stop motivation like simultaneously focusing on what you want to create and what you have in the present moment in relation to this desired result.

This is why it is so important to know what you truly desire to create in your weight loss program and to work on this on a daily basis.

Taking these five steps is what it will take for you to create permanent fat loss, and to bring into reality the body of your dreams! Now the choice is up to you, will you use these steps and create a lean, healthy body, or not?

A true choice is when you can choose to do something or choose not to do something. And I truly hope that you choose the first, and eventually will use these five simpl e steps toward creating your own weight loss plans -- to bring your health goal completely into reality!

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Top 30 Effective Fast Weight Loss Tips

Weight Loss Tip 1

The first most important step you should exactly do is to giggle by yourself and swear to god as you will be happy every-time you try to lose your weight. Most people will be serious with any weight loss methods that it makes negative attitude or emotion at the begining. Be happy is the first step you have to do!

Weight Loss Tip 2

Open your mind to accept to any weight gain reason. Don't give up! Be honest with yourself, when you begin your weight loss. To keep off the weight in the future, you may have to change your lifestyle to stay slim.

Weight Loss Tip 3

Spend your time to learn and understand about weight loss and any methods of how to lose weight. It will help you to find the best way for you easier. Many people who diet believe that if they eat more than their body needs, they gain weight. If they eat less than their body needs, they lose weight. Basically that's true. But, this is one common mistake that they don't really understand there are still have other factors which its be involved as they trying to lose weight, especailly, hidden calories and how much is provided by the food they are eating.

Read more on Easy Weight Loss Tips


Weight Loss Tip 4

It's most important thing, you should exactly do is to do not skip your meals forever. Remember the metabolism of your body will increasing and working properly by eating. Every-time you do skipping your meals, your body has to slow down the metabolism to attempt to conserve calories during that period. It makes you feel not so good and slicks you into a nightmare completely!

Weight Loss Tip 5
Before you start an exercise or weight loss program, you must to consult your doctor.

Weight Loss Tip 6

Good health achievement is a first point you should focus when you start to lose your weight.

Weight Loss Tip 7

Focus, monitor, and increase your activities to help your weight loss.

Weight Loss Tip 8

Fast walking is the easiest way, best method (can be done anywhere) you should add it into your weight loss program to hasten the burning of excess fat.

Weight Loss Tip 9

Do not stay with your weight loss program alone. Try to find your weight loss partner, friend, or club for motivation.

Weight Loss Tip 10

Learn about nutrition and find out the good healthy recipes, then try to test and grab any recipes that you think they are properly for you. This begins for your good cooking and healthy eating.

Weight Loss Tip 11

Avoid having one or two big meals. Let's get two times of snacks and three mini meals everyday instead of.

Weight Loss Tip 12

Learn how to make your favorite recipes without sugar, fats, and salt.

Weight Loss Tip 13

Instead of salt to taste, do use spices and herbs for your favorite foods.

Weight Loss Tip 14

When you are cooking with fry or stir method, do avoid using oil.

Weight Loss Tip 15

Avoid to adding the yolks into your foods as much as possible you can.

Weight Loss Tip 16

Use non-fat yogurt instead of cream.

Weight Loss Tip 17

Sometime you try to eat low fat mayonnaise but you realize that it's not be good taste for you, let's try to combines 1 teaspoon (or little more... depends on your tastable tongue) of satay sauce or dijon mustard with it. Your dream will come true!

Weight Loss Tip 18

During meals, you should to chew each bite and eat slowly. Slow eating will kill your appetite.

Weight Loss Tip 19

In the morning, let's try to drink hot or warm water to speed up your metabolism and burn calories out.

Weight Loss Tip 20

Try to drink 8 glasses of water per day. It's very important for your health and also helps to loss weight. Please remind that large quantities of water is required for an active metabolism which weight loss need.

Weight Loss Tip 21

Look for a weight loss "buddy," club, or support mates. This will motivate you to stay and enjoy your weight loss program.

Weight Loss Tip 22

Though it's hard at first, try not eating 3 hours or more before bedtime.

Weight Loss Tip 23

Make pasta a fast food choice - preparing a pasta meal or salad will only take 10-12 minutes.

Weight Loss Tip 24

Chilli helps to speed up metabolism - even the milder varieties.

Weight Loss Tip 25

Try making omelettes without adding the yolks! A dramatic
decrease in fat.

Weight Loss Tip 26

Substitute baking soda, baking powder, MSG and soya sauce in cooking.

Weight Loss Tip 27

Remove fat by dropping ice cubes into the baking tray. Fat will stick to the ice cubes.

Weight Loss Tip 28

Slowly eat and chew each bite during meals as this would decrease one's appetite.

Weight Loss Tip 29

Complete three small meals and two snacks everyday instead of one or two huge meals.

Weight Loss Tip 30

Use chicken stock when stir-frying. This will cut down on hidden fat.

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HCG Injections And A Low Calorie Diet For Weight Loss - A Summary Of The Research

Position Paper Regarding HCG Injections Along with a Very Low Calorie Diet for Weight Loss

by Dr. Kathryn Retzler

Portland, Oregon

The "HCG Diet" has become popular over the last few years due to the accessibility of the Internet and advertising by clinics that perform the protocol. I've read ATW Simeons protocol "Pounds and Inches: a New Approach to Obesity" several times. The paper is intriguing in terms of Simeons' theories about weight gain and the role of hypothalamic dysfunction in prevention of weight loss. It's also bold Simeons claims that the protocol is easy to follow and uniformly effective in suppressing appetite, elevating mood, and enabling "abnormal", stubborn fat to be lost. He also states that HCG resets the hypothalamus to prevent lost weight from being regained. "Pounds and Inches" is available from several sources on the Internet. If you're interested, you can order a copy of Simeons' paper describing his protocol published in 1954 from the Lancet.[1]

HCG or "human chorionic gonadotropin" is a hormone produced during pregnancy. It's also produced by tumors in women (hydatidiform mole) and men (testicular cancer). HCG injections are used medically since part of its molecular structure mimics luteinizing hormone (LH). HCG injections (in dosages ranging from 1000 to 2000 units, 2-3 times per week) are used to increase testosterone production in men with low testosterone who want to preserve fertility. HCG injections (5,000 to 10,000 units) are sometimes used in women to induce ovulation.

Simeons protocol uses minute dosages of HCG (125 units), 6-7 days per week for 23 to 40 days, along with a very low calorie (VLC) diet of 500 calories per day. Since HCG does share some of its molecular structure with LH and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), theoretically, it may increase testosterone production, ovulation and progesterone production, or release of thyroid hormone. It may also cause excess stimulation of the ovary and ovarian cysts. However, the dosage used is very small and these effects are unlikely. A VLC diet (with or without HCG) can precipitate gallstones (since it's very low in fat), and may cause symptoms of toxicity (since fat tissue stores toxins).

Research regarding HCG injections and weight loss is nearly all negative. In other words, most trials where patients received either HCG injections or placebo and followed identical VLC diets, show no difference in amount of weight lost, type of weight lost, hunger level, or mood. A summary of published studies follows this paper.

No study that I've read has looked at long-term maintenance of weight lost with the HCG protocol. Randomized controlled trials of VLC diets show a large variation in regain of initial weight loss percentage. Participants in these trial regained 7-122% of initial weight lost by one year, and 26-121% by 5 years. [2]Active follow-up weight maintenance programs that include behavior therapy, nutritional education, and exercise are more effective at improving weight maintenance.

It would be worthwhile to perform a clinical trial to see if participants following the HCG protocol are more successful at maintaining weight loss than VLC diet alone. Simeons claims patients who follow his protocol maintain weight loss 60-70% of the time, although I don't think he published data to back up this claim.

I've spoken to many patients who've followed the HCG protocol with great success they've lost significant amounts of weight, claim not to have been hungry, and had an increased sense of well-being. Many of these people have sustained their weight loss, many have not. I've personally gone through Simeons protocol, documenting all calories consumed as well as calories burned (by wearing a Bodybugg). I also measured my fat and muscle percentage before and after the diet using bioelectrical impedance analysis. I lost 12 pounds and 4% body fat during the 23 day protocol. I was extremely hungry throughout the entire protocol, although I did exercise every day. Some proponents of the protocol recommend not exercising, although this seems like bad advice given the overwhelming health benefits of regular exercise. I've also undergone a VLC diet, documenting all calories consumed and burned, without using HCG injections. I lost a similar percentage of excess weight.

My position on the HCG protocol for weight loss is that I do not think it's harmful. I also don't think it has any effect over placebo. I do not discount the power of any placebo. The placebo response is really a measure of the power of the self-healing ability. Many people are willing to follow a VLC diet if they inject themselves or take oral HCG since they believe the HCG will suppress their appetite and help them lose weight. I do believe that physicians who perform this protocol should disclose the negative research regarding HCG benefits to patients. I also believe it is ignorant of them at best, and unethical at worst, to prescribe a substance and oftentimes, charge high fees, for a product or protocol thathas shownno benefitover placebo.

Note that since 1975, the FDA requires the following information to be given with any HCG advertised or promoted for weight loss:

HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or "normal" distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.

If you are interested in following the HCG protocol, I think you should be informed about the research regarding HCG and weight loss. You should also make sure your physician is aware of your current health status before you follow any VLC diet, and that causes of abnormal weight gain (e.g., hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, Cushing's, and other endocrine problems) have been ruled out. Before going on any VLC diet, I'd also recommend undergoing a detox program that supports Phase I and Phase II liver function. Make sure you don't have pre-existing gallstones, liver, or kidney disease. If you're using insulin for diabetes management, you must make sure your dosage is adjusted based on blood sugar levels, and that you don't develop ketoacidosis, which can be fatal.

If you do undergo a VLC diet (with our without HCG) you owe it to yourself to change the factors that caused you to become overweight in the first place: improve your overall diet and nutrition knowledge, honestly evaluate causes of emotional eating, decrease stress, and increase exercise frequency and intensityotherwise, the chance of you gaining back the weight you've lost is nearly 100%.

I welcome comments or questions regarding my position. In addition, if you're aware of any research using the HCG protocol that I have not listed here, or if you believe my conclusions are incorrect, please contact me: drretzler@hormonesynergy.com.

Kathryn Retzler, ND

www.hormonesynergy.com

Summary of Research and Articles RE: HCG Injections & VLC Diet for Weight Loss

Note: Dr. Simeons does not state that HCG alone accomplishes weight loss; rather, he states patients treated with HCG will not be hungry or tired, will lose a different kind of weight ("abnormal fat" that is difficult to lose), and will experience an increased sense of well-being. He also claims that weight lost is unlikely to be regained ("60-70%" of patients keep weight off) due to a resetting of the hypothalamus.

Positive Papers:

Asher W, Harper H. Effect of human chorionic gonadotrophin on weight loss, hunger, and feeling of well-being. Am J Clin Nutr. 1973;26(2):211-8.

This study is a well-designed, randomized, double-blind trial of 40 women receiving HCG or placebo at an HCG treatment clinic (Harold Harper, MD). All followed a 500 to 550 kcal diet; 20 received 125 IU HCG six days per week for 6 weeks (36 injections); 20 received placebo injections six days per week (36 injections). Mean age of the HCG group was 37.8 years; placebo group 38.4 years. Results: Mean weight loss (HCG: 19.96 +/- 1.63 lbs; placebo: 11.05 +/- 1.29 lbs) and percentage of starting weight lost (HCG: 11.47%; placebo: 6.77%) were greater in the HCG group than the placebo group. Fourteen patients lost 15 lbs or more in the HCG group; 5 lost 15 lbs or more in the placebo group.

Hunger was decreased (HCG: 76.6% of daily responses indicated little or no hunger; placebo group 48.7% of daily responses indicated little or no hunger). Feeling of well being was greater in the HCG group (HCG: 86.5% indicated they felt "good" to "excellent"; placebo: 70% said they felt "good" to "excellent"). Blood pressure was not significantly different between the two groups. Interestingly, Dr. Harper's patients who received placebo injections lost more weight on average than either the HCG or placebo patients of 4 other physicians. The authors concluded, "Therefore, HCG used in a casual program of weight reduction, as it is often used in a general practice, is of no value," meaning that the very low calorie diet is the critical element leading to weight loss.

Gusman H. Chorionic gonadotropin in obesity. Further clinical observations. Am J Clin Nutr. 1969;22:686.

This paper is not a study but rather an article regarding Dr. Gusman's personal success treating "well over 2,500 patients of both sexes, aged 15 to 75" with Simeons' HCG protocol. Gusman studied with A.T.W. Simeons at his clinic in Rome. In this article, Gusman discusses Simeons' concept of obesity, namely, that it is a "definite metabolic disorder, much as is diabetes, caused by a breakdown of a regulating mechanism located in the...hypothalamus." He call this "the fat-regulating center."

Gusman explains that fat cells in the obese differ from normal fat cells in that they're more numerous and larger. These "overstuffed" fat cells metabolize glucose less efficiently than normal fat cells. Normal fat tissue serves two functions: structural material (to protect organs and blood vessels) and fuel storage. Abnormal fat tissue is also a potential reserve for fuel, but is not immediately available in nutritional emergencies. Only after the normal fat reserves are exhausted will the body use abnormal fat. Severe calorie restriction leads to exhaustion of normal fat reserves before abnormal fat is used, and the patient will be weak and hungry "while the ugly fat deposits of which he originally wished to rid himself have hardly been reduced. At this point, the patient often becomes depressed and frustrated, and the diet is abandoned."

The only type of "nutritional emergency" where all types of fat cells are immediately useable is during pregnancy. Simeons suggests it's HCG that brings about changes in the hypothalamus preventing obesity during pregnancy.

Gusman compiled records from 450 of his patients receiving either 3 or 6 week treatment. He makes the following observations: 1) 90% of patients were able to reduce their weight, 2) 60-70% reached their desired normal weight, 3) "a majority" claimed this regiment was the easiest and most successful to follow, 4) "many" who regained some or all of their weight claimed they kept their weight off longer than previously, and didn't mind returning for treatment, 5)"nearly all patients" experienced "euphoria" in spite of marked low intake of food, and 6) the markedly obese had the most satisfying results.

Lebon P. Treatment of overweight patients with chorionic gonadotropin. J Am Geriat Soc. 1966;14:116.

Lebon P. Action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet. 1961;2:268.

Simeons AT. The action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet. 1954 Nov 6;267(6845):946-7.

Stuart C. The action of chorionic gonadotophin in the obese. Lancet. 1961;278(7196):268-9.

Negative studies:

Bosch B, Venter I, Stewart RI, et al. Human chorionic gonadotrophin and weight loss. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. S Afr Med J. 1990;77(4):185-9.

This study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing HCG injections with placebo for weight loss. 40 obese women (body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2) were placed on the same diet supplying 5,000 kJ per day and received daily injections of saline or HCG, 6 days a week for 6 weeks. A psychological profile, hunger level, body circumferences, fasting blood sample, and food records were obtained at the start and end of the study, while body weight was measured weekly. Results: Subjects receiving HCG injections showed no advantages over those on placebo in respect to any of the variables recorded. Furthermore, weight loss on the diet was similar to that on severely restricted intake. The authors conclude, "There is no rationale for the use of HCG injections in the treatment of obesity."

Craig L, Ray R, Waxler S, et al. Chorionic gonadotropin in the treatment of obese women. Am J Clin Nutr. 1963;12:230-234.

This study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of the Simeon method using HCG vs. placebo, and a 550 calorie per day diet. 20 obese women were treated for forty days. Results: all subjects but one lost weight, but the losses were small and not uniform, suggesting varied adherence to the diet. The basal metabolic rate was increased in four HCG subjects and two control subjects.

Greenway FL, Bray GA. Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity: a critical assessment of the Simeons method. West J Med. 1977;127(6);461-3.

This study was a double-blind, placebo control trial using HCG injections or placebo to test weight loss, hunger level, mood, and localized (spot) reduction while adhering to a VLC diet. Results: Weight loss was identical between the two groups, and there was no evidence for differential effects on hunger, mood or localized body measurements. The authors conclude, "Placebo injections, therefore, appear to be as effective as HCG in the treatment of obesity."

Lijesen S, Theeuwen I, Assendelft W, et al. The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1995;40:237-243.

This paper was a meta-analysis of eight uncontrolled and 16 controlled trials measuring the effect of HCG in the treatment of obesity. The trials were scored for quality and methods (based on four main categories: study population, interventions, measurement of effect, and data presentation and analysis) and the main conclusion of author(s) with regard to weight-loss, fat-redistribution, hunger, and feeling of well-being. Methodological scores ranged from 16 to 73 points (maximum score 100), suggesting that most studies were of poor methodological quality. Of the 12 studies scoring 50 or more points, one reported that HCG was a useful adjunct. The studies scoring 50 or more points were all controlled. The authors concluded, "that there is no scientific evidence that HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity; it does not bring about weight-loss or fat-redistribution, nor does it reduce hunger or induce a feeling of well-being."

Miller R, Schneiderman LJ. A clinical study of the use of human chorionic gonadotrophin in weight reduction. J Fam Pract 1977 Mar;4(3):554-8.

This study was a double-blind, crossover trial using saline or HCG injections, along with a VLC diet. There was also no significant difference in mood, hunger, or missed injections, and no apparent difference in adherence to diet when the two agents were compared. In contrast, a significant difference was found in the ability of subjects to lose weight in the first four weeks of the study in contrast with the second four weeks, no matter which agent was used. Thus, the initiation of a new therapeutic program, even using an inert agent, has a temporary benefit--a manifestation both of placebo effect and the Hawthorne effect.

Rabe T, Richter S, Kiesel L, Runnebaum B. [Risk-benefit analysis of a hCG-500 kcal reducing diet (cura romana) in females]. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 1987 May;47(5):297-307.

The British physician A.T.W. Simeons described in 1954 a new method for dieting. He combined a reduction diet (500 kcal per day) with daily injections of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (125 IU i.m.). According to Simeons the patient should not lose more weight during a 4-to-6 weeks' diet than without hCG, but the injections should facilitate to maintain the diet and to lose body weight at specific parts of the body (e.g. hip, belly, thigh). After the first publication various studies conducted with male and female patients analyzed the efficacy of the "Cura romana". 10 of these studies showed positive and another 10 studies negative results with regard to hCG-related weight reduction. Two of these studies with positive results were double-blind studies (hCG vs. placebo). Most of them were reports on therapeutical experiences and were not controlled studies. According to these reports the body proportions normalized and the feeling of hunger was to lerable. Four out of 10 studies with negative results were controlled studies (hCG vs. control without hCG), whereas 6 were double-blind studies. These studies showed a significant weight reduction during dieting, but no differences between treatment groups in respect to body weight, body proportions and feeling of hunger. One of them is the only German study conducted by Rabe et al. in 1981 in which 82 randomised premenopausal volunteers had been dieting either with hCG or without hCG injections. In recent publications describing mostly well-documented double-blind studies, authors largely reject hCG administration in dieting. Supporters of the hCG diet must prove the efficacy of this method in controlled studies according to the German Drug Law. Until then the opinion of the German steroid toxicology panel is still valid, that hCG is ineffective in dieting and should not be used.

Shetty KR, Kalkhoff RK. Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) treatment of obesity. Arch Intern Med. 1977 Feb;137(2):151-5.

This study compared six hospitalized obese women given 125 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) intramuscularly daily for 30 days with five obese women who received injections of dilutent only (placebo). Patients consumed identical, 500-calorie per day diets for the same period. Although the number of patients was small, the study is significant since patient diets and all injections were monitored closely in a hospital setting. Results: Mean weight loss in the HCG-treated group was nearly identical to that achieved by women given the placebo. Reduction of triceps skinfold thickness or circumferential body measurements of the chest, waist, hips, and thighs were not different. Patterns of change of a variety of plasma and urine substrates, electrolytes, and hormones were similar in the two groups and consistent with semistarvation and weight loss. The authors concluded," These results indicate that HCG has no effects on chemical and hormonal parameters measured and offe rs no advantage over calorie restriction in promoting weight loss."

Stein MR, Julis RE, Peck CC, et al. Ineffectiveness of human chorionic gonadotrophin in weight reduction: a double blind study. Am J Clin Nutr. 1976;29(0):940-8.

This study was a well-designed, randomized, double-blind trial of 51 women receiving HCG or placebo for 32 days (28 injections), along with a 500 to 550 kcal/day diet. The study was designed to duplicate the Asher-Harper study (above). Each patient was given the same diet (the one prescribed in the Asher-Harper study), was weighed daily Monday through Saturday and was counseled by one of the investigators who administered the injections. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the means of the two groups in number of injections received, weight loss (HCG: 15.79 lbs; placebo: 15.52 lbs), percent of weight loss (HCG: 9.48%; placebo: 9.25%), hip and waist circumference, weight loss per injections, or in hunger ratings. The authors concluded, "HCG does not appear to enhance the effectiveness of a rigidly imposed regimen for weight reduction."

Young RL, Fuchs RJ, Woltjen MJ. Chorionic gonadotrophin in weight control. A double-blind crossover study. JAMA. 1976;236(22):2495.

202 patients participated in a double-blind, randomized, cross-over study of the effectiveness of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) vs. placebo in a weight reduction program. Serial measurements were made of weight, skin-fold thickness, dropout rates, reasons for dropping out, and patient subjective response. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between those receiving HCG vs. placebo during any phase of this study.

An additional interesting study:

Sohar E. A forty-day-550 calorie diet in the treatment of obese outpatients. Am J Clin Nutr. 1959;7:514-518.

The purpose of this paper was to present a method of producing rapid weight reduction in obese patients. This study looked at forty-five patients who started fifty-three courses of 550-calorie diet, consisting of two meals prescribed in detail. Patients were told what to eat (Simeon diet) and were not told calorie content. 39 patients were given HCG injections (125 units), 14 others received daily injections of saline. Patients were told that weight reduction would be due to the diet but that injections would help curb appetite. The authors assumed from the start that HCG was ineffective in terms of weight reduction. Injections were given for "psychological reasons only" since patients were assured they would curb appetite.

The authors state that the diet Simeon prescribed is successful because average daily weight loss is high due to the very low calories consumed. Patients are more likely to stick to the diet due to time limitation i.e., they know the diet will only last 40 days. They state that "the vast majority of patients are willing to suffer for forty days for the reward of losing the predicted and attainable amount of 20 pounds." The author also surmises that success is due to the fact that food is prescribed, not calories. This eliminates the estimating that usually goes on with calorie counting. In other words, most patients do not weigh or measure food and do not record calories properly. Sohar recommends not advising patients in terms of calories, but to prescribe meals in detail.

Another reason Sohar gives for success of the diet is that only two meals per day are prescribed; therefore, contact with food is minimized. Lastly, activity level is unrestricted, "enabling all obese people, most of whom are housewives, to reduce." Sohar points out that his paper, as well as Simeon's work, proves that obese patients can lead a normal life performing moderate work on 500 to 600 calories per day.

1] Simeons AT. The action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet. 1954 Nov 6;267(6845):946-7.

[2] Saris W. Very-low-calorie diets and sustained weight loss. Obesity Research. 2001;Suppl 4:295S-301S.

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Is It Better To Pay For Weight Loss Program Or Develop Your Own

Are you interested in losing weight? Whether you would like to improve your health, improve you appearance, or do both, you may be interested in finding a weight loss plan to use. When it comes to weight loss plans, you will find that you have a number of different options. Two of your most common options include paying for a weight loss plan or developing your own.

If this is your first time attempting to "seriously," lose weight, you may be wondering whether you should develop your own weight loss plan, also commonly referred to as a weight loss program, or pay for one. One of the best ways to determine which weight loss plan you should use is to examine the pros and cons of each. A few of the most influential advantages and disadvantages to developing your own weight loss plan, as well as paying for one are outlined below.

When it comes to paying for a weight loss plan or a weight loss program, you will find that you can do so locally or online. If you choose to participate in a local weight loss program or plan, you will likely meet in a centralized location. Many times, you just get together every week or two. There are some weight loss programs where you can exercise onsite though. Should you choose to join an online weight loss program, you will likely have online meetings or discussions with trainers or other weight loss program members, either on a message board or through emails. You should also have access to healthy recipes and easy to do exercises.

One of the many advantages to paying for a weight loss program or a weight loss plan is that you are often given a professional plan. Many times, the individuals or trainers in charge of running these programs have training or firsthand experience with losing weight. This often eliminates trial and error, as many have already learned what works and what does not work with weight loss.

In all honestly, the only downside to paying to join a weight loss program or a weight loss plan is that you have to pay to do so. With that in mind, however, you should be able to find affordable weight loss programs and plans, both locally and online. Although it is not guaranteed, many people find the most affordable help in the form of online weight loss programs or online weight loss plans.

As for developing your own weight loss plan, there are a number of advantages to doing so. One of those advantages is that you can customize your weight loss plan and program to you. For example, if you were allergic to milk, you could work your allergy into your weight loss program, where as a paid weight loss plan or program may not do so. You can also customize your workouts to yourself. This is great if you are obese and unable to follow many workout videos, which seem like they are designed for those who already in "perfect," shape.

Another one of the many advantages to developing your own weight loss plan to follow is that it is fun to do. You also have a number of tools at your fingertips. There are a number of websites and magazines that you can get weight loss information from; information that you can use to create your own weight loss plan to follow. Some individuals have said that creating their own weight loss plan to follow makes them more excited about the process and more likely to see the plan all the way through.

The above mentioned factors are just a few of the many that you may want to take into consideration, when trying to determine whether you should develop your own weight loss program or join a paid weight loss program. Many individuals have reported starting their own weight loss program and then later joining a paid one if they didn't get the results that they were hoping for.

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How To Improve Your Digestive Health

Digestive health is an important part of a healthy body. When we are in a poor diet our digestive system is weakened. When our digestive system becomes weak, our immune system is weakened too. A weak immune system can lead to many diseases, therefore, it is important to take good care of our digestive health. With a healthy digestive system, nutrients are absorbed and sent to nourish the body. When the food we eat becomes properly digested, our bodies absorb nutrients and eliminate wastes and toxins.

A derivative of fermented milk helps maintain healthy blood pressure and protects the arterial wall. Potassium and sodium are necessary for a healthy heart and blood vessels. Pomegranate helps promote healthy blood flow. All these can be found in a supplement to maintain healthy blood pressure.

Another way to improve your digestion is to increase your fiber intake. Fiber can be found in most foods such as dried fruits, beans, legumes, apples, and certain dairy products. Fiber is also beneficial for those individuals trying to lose weight. The reason why fiber is beneficial for rapid weight loss is that you still feel full longer and improves digestion. And last but not least, you should try to add more good bacteria in your daily diet.
Develop the habit of drinking water often and regularly is important because it is easy to become dehydrated between meals that can negatively affect your digestive system. If you normally do not drink much water, make a conscious effort to drink a glass of water in the morning and change your soda / energy drink coffee and a glass or bottle of water during the day.

Eat when hungry and not necessarily at times in "package" will help your ability to digest food. When you're hungry, your body will be able to release more enzymes in the stomach that aide in digestion. When a person eats when not hungry, the stomach can not secrete as many digestive enzymes.

Basically, this extra work saps energy from other parts of your body. Your body has to work harder to keep up. Think of an assembly line than a minute. If all goes well, a number of units produced. Now if you stop the assembly line, requiring more manual processes, reduce total production.

Most of us do not like change. We would like to stay within our comfort zone and keep the old customs and family. Healthy eating and weight loss are no different. But small changes are often less trouble than we think it will be and also the new regime can only add some unexpected variety in their diet. Why not give it a try? Who knows weight loss and improved health may actually be easier than you think.

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Creating Great Content For Your Blog Part 4 By Peter Wolfing

Now that we've got the blog all set up and optimized for the search engines, we now have to create the main money-making attraction of our blog great content!

There are 3 main options that most people use when it comes to creating blog content; writing it yourself, outsourcing it, or using PLR (Private Label Rights) content.

Writing Your Own Blog Posts

This is the best option when it comes to blogging, creating blog posts yourself which are unique and interesting and show your personality is a great way to gain credibility and customer interest. Ideally you want to write all the blog posts yourself on hot and relevant topics to do with your niche. Try to write posts that are helpful and entertaining to your reader. Once your visitors get to know you a bit better you will gain a fanbase' of loyal readers who will also be willing to buy your products.

The more helpful information and interest you provide, the easier it will be to sell to your visitors.....and it won't even really feel like selling. All you will have to do is provide great info that really benefits your readers, create a fanbase' and then simply just mention a few products at the end of your posts or in your videos and you will be amazed at how many people will actually click on your links and buys those products. Try to write in a style that is both authoritative, yet personal. Tell stories, be entertaining, and yet also provide plenty of practical, useful info. Providing great quality information is key here, so that's why creating the blog posts yourself and adding a human' element to them (your personality) is really the best option you want to build a profitable, popular, blog in the long term.

Tip: Some people say that for every fan' (regular reader) your blog gets, you will earn $1 off them a month on average. So for example, if you get 1000 true fans, you should get $1000 a month from them (from things like affiliate commissions, adsense revenue, product sales etc.)

Using Private Label Rights Content (PLR)

If you are short on time or writing isn't your forte, you could try using PLR articles for your blog posts. This is pre-written content, usually articles (or ebooks, videos....almost anything) that you can buy (and get for free) and can use as your own. Usually you'll pay a small fee for a license to a bunch of PLR articles that you can use however you like.

To find PLR articles and content, search Google for your topic followed by the words private label rights' or plr'.E.g. raw food diets private label rights articles' or raw food diets plr'.There is plenty of plr out there on almost any subject you can imagine. However, since this is pre-written content that anyone can buy the rights to, I would suggest re-writing 25-30% of each article to try and make it unique and to avoid duplicate content.

Autoblogging

If you simply want to just automate the whole process and have content being posted on your blog while you sleep, there are a few good auto-blogging plugins available for Wordpress blogs. What you usually do is pre-load your blog with content (written yourself, outsourced, or plr), and choose the time intervals at which you want the content automatically posted and the plug-in will do the rest for you.

Here are a couple of good ones I recommend:

http://www.wprobot.net

http://www.autoblogged.com

http://wealthynetizen.com/ezinearticles-autoposter-a-free-wordpress-plug-in/

Also, to take this method one step further, you could choose to also install a plug-in that automatically submits every new blog post to a range of popular social bookmaking sites. So for a completely hands-free method, you could pre-load your blog with plr content, have one plug-in automatically posting content (e.g. daily) and another plug-in immediately social bookmarking the automated content!

Here's a plugin I would recommend:

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-onlywire-auto-poster/

Adding Video

Video is a great addition to a blog. Videos keep a visitor's interest and will help you get more traffic. People absolutely love video, and having videos on your blog will no doubt attract more interest. The best part about it is that you don't even have to create your own videos! Wordpress allows you simply copy the embedding code of any video from YouTube and just put it anywhere on your blog.

Let's take the example I used earlier, raw food diets, and I'll show you how to embed a video from YouTube into a blog:

1) Go to YouTube.com and search for videos using your keywords

2.) Choose the video you want and click the '<embed></embed>' button located below the video

3.) Choose from the options what you'd like, then click on the embed code to select it and then right click on it and copy it.

4.) Now paste the code into a blog post. Make sure you have the post in HTML view, not Visual' view otherwise this won't work properly.

I hope you enjoyed this blog article regarding your blog.

Peter Wolfing

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The Benefits Of Working Out On A Vibration Platform

Vibration machines offer some exceptional health benefits in only minutes a day for those who use them regularly as part of a healthy lifestyle program. Originally developed to help improve the condition of astronaut's fitness while on space missions, vibration training is now very much in mainstream use to offer the same range of benefits to home users.

Vibration trainers are based on vibration platforms and the concept behind these are very simple. Vibration platforms vary greatly in the movement direction, speed and intensity of the vibrations, but in essence, you have two main types of vibration: oscillation and linear.

An oscillating vibration platform moves side to side and offer some excellent benefits as these vibrations are great for improving your metabolism and aiding weight loss. These types of machines are most beneficial for improving your overall fitness levels.

A linear vibration platform is where both feet move up and down at the same time and is most suited to those looking to increase strength and jump height'. This type of vibration platform is considered to be the most taxing on the body, since it can feel uncomfortable.

Instead, you should look at a vibration platform which combines both oscillation and linear movements. This means the machines are more powerful and able to aid weight loss, increase flexibility, improve strength, boost metabolism and improve bone density in one go.

Not all machines are created equally though. There is another dimension which needs to be addressed which is the effect of g-forces on the body. Vibration platforms which utilize both linear and oscillation vibrations mean that they tend to have a larger g-force.

A g-force rating is based on gravitational load the amount of weight or inertia placed on the body which creates resistance and forces your muscles to work hard. G forces have a similar action to weight training on the body and are ideal to condition the muscles to give a lean and toned body.

So a machine with a high g-force rating in conjunction with a dual vibration platform means that you get a tough workout, as you literally feel as if you're having a strength training session while standing on the vibration platform. But because the vibration platform is a dual type, you get all the additional benefits such as weight loss and a boost in your metabolism as well. Constriction

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Places to get eCigs

After a moderate lunch salad I try to eat a different snack 10 peanut. For dinner, we make grilled mahi mahi with loads of vegetables zucchini, red pepper, and mushrooms. I'm relieved that I never have to try to eat salad for every single meal!

Day 2: I dismiss my snack portions and spend the value. I get started to get light-headed and my entire body feels weak. I master swiftly that you ought to seriously stick to the eating plan you want, fairly than improvising. If you do devoid of snack portions you are doing away with a ton of nutrients for the day and fundamentally starving on your own. When you eat five smaller sized meals a day, you do not sense hungry. You are consuming a good portion of meals. My breakfast is made up of egg combine as properly as red bell peppers and two slices of Canadian bacon. My snack was unusual-a breadless cheese concoction consisting of two ham rollups and very low-weight cheese. I also threw in a strip of red pepper and a spinach leaf. For lunch, I had prepared chicken on little one spinach with salad dressing. I also ate yet another piece of string cheese simply because I was however hungry. Dinner was satisfying I got grilled chicken breast and vegetable skew ers. I also enjoyed a dessert: Lemon Ricotta.

South Beach Eating habits Week one, Day three-5: Hump day passes and the weekend techniques promptly. Electricity wise, I feel excellent. In truth, I think significantly less groggy than typical. I can not say I skip the carbs physically, even though emotionally, I would like very little extra than a steaming bowl of macaroni and cheese. Nevertheless, the hunger cravings are in handle. Each time I get hungry I eat a snack nuts, cheese...minimal "spikes" of protein) and sense better speedily. Breakfasts consist of vegetable quiche cups. Lunches are fuller and I get to consume salad with tuna, and for lunch I have stir-fry vegetables with a non-regular but still delicious sauce. I essentially don't skip the rice or noodles at this point, not in terms of hunger craving. I'll see if this sensation keeps up. Snacks consist of nuts, quiches, salads and soups. Dinner is the enjoyable component of the day there are loads of recipes in the South Beach Diet regime p hase 1 cookbook. We have almost everything from stuffed mushrooms to rib-eye steak with Crawfish.

The Ultimate Days

South Beach Diet regime Week 1, Day four-7: I like eggs for breakfast, and soup and bacon for lunch. Snacks for the day consist of celery, hummus and sunflower seeds. Dinners are produced up of grilled veggies, fish, chicken and steak. I experimented with Atkins before and I ought to say this diet regime provides us the very best of each worlds-starch and crunch.

Aftermath: It's been seven days and I experience excellent, if somewhat unhinged from a lack of pasta and rice. I'm not hungry, I'm not physically ill. It's pretty much what I would call a psychological response my thoughts is revolting and my physique is ignoring its phone. Physically I really think energized, and am excited to be ingesting nutritious for a alter. I have dropped 4.one pounds in 1 week.

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Why You Should Read a Weight Loss Consumer Report

The development of the weight loss industry has led to the growth of scores of weight loss supplements and programs each claiming to be the best thing to ever come out in the weight loss industry. While these weight loss products are not necessarily lying, some may also be guilty of not telling you the whole truth. So that's where a weight loss product consumer report comes in. A weight loss product consumer report works by providing information on weight loss products that are made available to the public. With the general aim of weeding out the lies from the truths in the weight loss industry, a weight loss product consumer report is used to protect unknowing weight loss product consumers from falling prey to dishonest weight loss product manufacturers.

Choosing weight loss products

Choosing a weight loss product to use can be very tricky. It's not even just because of the sheer amount of products available to you but more so the amount of information that each one is feeding you. So be careful before you buy a weight loss product. It is not enough that you compare products based on what's popular although that would give you an idea on which one works. To guide you, start out by looking up the list of ingredients of a weight loss product. Then look up a list of ingredients that according to the Food and Drug Administration are harmful for consumption. Just by the list of ingredients alone you will find out if you should be taking a particular weight loss product or not.

Prescriptions: yes, no, maybe

Prescription drugs are generally of higher potencies compared to over-the-counter products. Weight loss products that come with prescriptions are normally given to very obese patients or if a person has a particular weight loss need that cannot be addressed with simple over-the-counter weight loss products. Because of their highly specific content, prescription weight loss products are approved by the Fo od and Drug Administration. Degree of effectiveness depend from one person to another but most who take prescription weight loss products lose about 5% to 10% from their weight. While usually given to very obese patients, prescription weight loss products may be given to people who have healthy body mass indexes considering that they have consulted with their doctors and have been cleared to take them.
Go over-the-counter

A lot of weight loss products are available to you over the counter. (Over-the-counter weight loss products mean that you don't need a prescription to take them.) However, a weight loss product consumer report will tell you that buying weight loss products over-the-counter actually poses more threats than buying with a prescription because use is not regulated. Any person can buy as much as they want, in as many brands as they want without regard to what would work best for them. Essentially a trial-and-error process, the threat also lies in using too many weight loss products at the same time. While all claiming to promote weight loss, weight loss products aren't generally intended to be used in conjunction with another weight loss product. Well, because each one is claiming to handle singlehandedly all your weight loss needs, they aren't formulated to be "friendly" to other weight loss products. Using too many weight loss products at the same time can actually make you sicker instead of better. By piling on different substances into your body, you may be overloading your body systems in the process. This makes your body slow down and weaker in defending you against threats in the environment.

Unproven claims

Be careful of weight loss products labeled as "herbal" or "natural" as these can be misleading. Just because they are labeled as such, that does not guarantee that they are indeed safe for consumption. Not everything herbal or natural is safe for you. Some might even be potentially dangerous especially to those who are suffering from any health condition or are already taking prescription medication.

Protect yourself

As any weight loss product consumer report would, you have to learn how to protect yourself. When buying any weight loss product, check to see if a weight loss consumer product report has been done on it. This will tell you how it worked for other people, what does it do, and what does it contain--some of the very basic things you have to know about any weight loss product. Unless approved by the Food and Drug Administration, be cautious about products that contain the words: breakthrough, easy, magical, new discovery, guaranteed, effortless, exotic, secret, miraculous, and mysterious. If you've taken the time to find out what works, take the time to tell other people what works. Create your own weight loss product consumer report and help ensure that other people are informed and protected as well.

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20 Rapid Weight Loss Tips | Weight Loss Help And Tips

If you want to achieve rapid weight loss for those extra pounds, you should be careful on what you eat and how active you are. With a rapid weight loss program, Identify what needs to change and include in your lifestyle the following weight loss tips.

Tip1. Reduce the calories you consume

One gram of fat contains twice the calories of a gram of protein or carbohydrate. Limit foods high in fat, choose products with reduced fat and calories, limit the starters and remove fat from meat. You should include in your diet products with fewer calories, like fruits and vegetables. Good selections are also foods rich in fiber. Try to turn from white to black bread and choose whole grain cereal for breakfast.

Tip 2. Watch the size of your food portions

The sizes of food portions have increased as the year's pass, especially when it comes to ready meals and snacks. This means that we consume more calories, and adapt quickly to eating bigger portions and do not feel congested. Restrict potatoes, pasta, rice, fatty foods and sweets and select fruits and vegetables.

Tip 3. Watch what you drink

Stop the consumption of drinks containing sugar and alcohol, and replace them with water, tea, coffee or drinks with artificial sweeteners and daily exercise. Drinks with sugar add more calories in the diet and do not lead to the feeling of satiety or satisfaction.

Tip 4. Keep a balanced diet

Remember the principles of a balanced diet, to include in your diet fruits and vegetables (at least 5 portions a day for your rapid weight loss program), non-processed foods with more fiber, lean meats and dairy products low in fat.

Tip 5. Be more active

To become more active in your daily life does not necessarily mean to sweat in the gym. Instead of the gym you can utilize the following tips that can indirectly help your weight loss efforts:

Choose physical exercise activities that you like and try to spend more time each week in these activities
Incorporate more activity in your daily life
Buy a step counter and count the steps you do everyday for your rapid weight loss program and maintain healty weight loss.

Another good way to become more active is to reduce the time you are sitting. At home limit the time watching television or sitting in front of the computer. At work, you can make regular breaks and if you want to talk with a colleague you can walk to his office instead of sending e-mail as a weight loss tip.

Tip 6. Avoid the rapid weight loss diets'

These rapid weight loss diets that promise rapid weight loss should be avoided. Initially they give you tips for rapid weight loss but in the long run they are very difficult to follow. Often these weight loss diets are very demanding and they are not providing the necessary nutrients to the body. Diets that promise rapid weight loss, are suggesting that some foods can burn fat quickly', they usually promote one or two foods, have many rules on how to eat and they overall seem too good to be true.

Tip 7. The Yo-Yo dieting

Many people that experience a weight loss have the tendency to regain their weight later. You can restrict this possibility by making permanent changes to your lifestyle and eating habits to maintain healthy weight loss. The best tip to enhance your weight loss efforts is physical exercise. Regular physical activity and exercise plays an important role in maintaining healthy body weight.

(The following factors are important for permanent weight loss: changes in eating habits, regular exercise, realistic objectives and support from friends and family.)

(Although nobody would suggest that the Yo-Yo diets are good, there is little evidence that they are harmful to your health. However, the results are disappointing and may lead to reduced confidence and mobility.)

You have to realise that in the period immediately after a weight loss you are at increased risk of gaining some weight and that you will need to take concrete steps to prevent it.

Remember to weigh regularly. If you notice your weight increasing, act immediately. Do not let a little failure to become a major problem.

Tip 8. Drink green tea

In another weight loss tip, arecent study showed that green tea polyphenols and specifically katechines contribute to the increase of basic metabolism, helping the combustion' of fat.

Tip 9. Eat regular meals!

A daily portion of 2,000 calories for example, can be spread into 3 or 5-6 meals. But when there is division into 5-6 smaller meals each day (e.g. breakfast, snack, lunch, afternoon, evening) then there are small (not big) changes to the levels of sugar in our body and especially of insulin, which is important for our metabolism and good fat combustion' and acheiving rapid weight loss.

Tip 10. Caffeine does not help your weight loss efforts

Caffeine has a leading role in many studies on weight loss with other substances (e.g., ephedrine), but the effect on the metabolism is small and someone should not wait to loose weight by drinking coffee. Its diuretic action (which exists only in large quantities of coffee) can in no case be counted as major weight loss help.

Tip 11. For rapid weight loss do not follow deprivation diets

If you were determined to lose 5 kilos quickly, then you would probably follow a deprivation diet. Perhaps you are not eating anything, only grapefruit or cabbage soup every day. You reduce your daily calories to less than 1,000 and of course you see the pounds to go. But when you eat so few calories, in essence you train your metabolism rate to slow down. Once you stop the diet, your body burns calories more slowly and you will gain weight faster-than ever before.

Tip 12. Do not forget breakfast

Not eating breakfast seems a simple way to reduce some calories, but the result may be insatiable hunger for the rest of the day. This can lead to a non-planned snack in the office, in huge portions for lunch and this as a result will increase the calories you consume. But a breakfast, which is rich in protein and fiber, can reduce hunger throughout the day. In fact, research shows that people who eat breakfast every morning are more likely to maintain normal weight.

Tip 13. Do not underestimate calories of snacks

Possibly you are carefully measuring the calories you take in each meal and you forget about the snacks. There are some cookies in your office, a piece of cake brought by a colleague, the ice cream of your children etc. All this added together can sabotage your otherwise well-designed weight loss diet. If you take seriously the issue of calculating the amount of calories you consume then you better use a notepad to write down every thing that you eat throughout the day.

If the constant consumption of snacks can destroy your silhouette, to eat snacks wisely can do the opposite. People who eat several small meals and snacks a day are more likely to control their hunger and enable rapid weight loss. Snacks can help you keep your metabolism high, especially those snacks rich in protein. Nuts are a good choice and they are high in protein. Research suggests that people who eat nuts as a snack they tend to lose weight fast lthan those who do not consume nuts.

Tip 14. Be careful of light' products

Light products with low fat may play an important role in your diet. Just remember that low fat is not the same as low calorie and this does not give you the right to consume a lot of such products. If you fill your plate with sweets that have little fat, you can eat more calories than if you had a smaller piece of normal' sweets. The best way to find out how much fat, sugar and calories they have is to check the product label.

Light food does not mean food with out nutritional value. Many light products contain large amounts of simple sugars in order to gain their lost taste. This immediately gives them calories, but is often less than fully fat products. To help achieve rapid weight loss, the best thing you can do therefore is to carefully read the food labels that state, often in detail, the content in calories, but also the vitamins and minerals they contain.

Tip 15. Do not forget that drinks also have calories

When counting calories, most of us tend to overlook those in our drink. It is a big mistake, when you consider that some coffees and alcoholic drinks are more than 500 calories. Even the calories in juice and soft drink can be added quickly. The worst is that the calories in liquids are not limiting hunger. We will not eat less after we get many calories with a drink.

Tip 16. Water does not help inrapid weight loss but

Through the water, our body regulates temperature, eliminates unnecessary metabolic products, and carries nutrients and oxygen to cells. Not to drink water is one of the most common errors people do in a weight loss diet. Water is necessary for the burning of calories. If you let yourself be dehydrated your metabolism malfunctions-and that means slower weight loss. Research indicates that adults who drink 8 or more glasses of water per day burn more calories than those who drink less. So, try to add a glass of water at each meal or snack.

Tip 17. Drink low fat milk

Milk, cheese and ice cream are taboo for many people who are on a diet, but the abandonment of milk can be "counterproductive". Some surveys suggest that the body burns more fat when you take enough calcium and produces more fat when it lacks calcium. The calcium supplements do not have the same benefits, so the milk might have other ingredients that act as well. Most specialists recommend that you remain in milk with low or no fat to help with your raid weight loss diet.

Tip 18. Do not get on the scale daily

The daily weighing is a recipe that causes confusion and gives you no useful information. More important is the tendency to look in the long run and be weighed every week. If your goal is to lose half a kilo a week, you will be satisfied to see that you lost them when you get on the scale. The result gives you a greater reward than to see the variations in scale and get confused when you weight daily.

Tip 19. Do not set unrealistic goals

To tell yourself that you will lose 9 pounds the first week, you are doomed for failure. If you know that you will not succeed you may even not start a diet. If you diet and lose 2.5 kilos a week, rather than being happy and celebrate it, you will feel unsatisfied that you did not reach your target. The realistic goal is important for the success of a weight loss diet. If you are not sure what should be your goal, talk with a specialist to help you set your goals. Remember that fast weight loss diets are too good to be true, so you need to be patient and set realistic goals.

Tip 20. You need to exercise regularly

Exercising intensively for two hours once every fifteen days has no value for rapid weight loss. Conversely, someone who exercises daily, even 30 minutes, can greatly gain from the various benefits of exercise to health, while simultaneously laying the foundation for maintaining a desired weight and enabling rapid weight loss.

If you do not exercise, you put the whole burden of weight loss to the diet. If you become more active, you can eat more of the foods you like and still lose weight. The weight loss tip is to find an exercise that you like. If you do not like the treadmill, try swimming, ballet, cycling or tennis, which burn more calories than walking. Spend time doing different activities to choose what you like and which you can spend more days.

When you are engaging into a rapid weigh loss diet you should also be aware of the following tips:

1. Most diets' are ineffective and have short-term results.

2. You cannot lose five pounds in ten days', as advertised by the various rapid weight loss diets and institutions that are published in women's magazines every May and June. Our organism can lose 2-4 pounds in a month. Most unfortunately are muscle and water. From how many muscles we have in our body dependents how much weight we will lose. Two people of the same age, same height and same weight can lose weight differently.

3. The only diet' that has rapid weight loss results is one personalized for the person and balanced in the standards of the Mediterranean diet, without hysteria and denial, always combined with physical activity and exercise.

4. 'Chemical' diets are one-sided diets. If you consume few calories, you will have better and faster results. With chemical diets you lose muscle and water, something criminal, because after all what you need is to loose fat. But there are also adverse effects on blood lipids, kidney and other body organs.

5.Obesity is a multi disease and has different aspects: organic, psychological, aesthetic and should be treated with care and long term.

6. For medical purposes there is no ideal' weight for a person. There is the so-called body mass index. It is our weight (in kg) divide by our height (in meters) squared. The desire value for everyone is between 18 to 25 kg/m2. Over weight people are those who have the body mass index above 30kg/m2.

People who want to loose weight fast do a lot of mistakes in the process. Some of the common mistakes were outlined in this article. What are the most important rapid weight loss tips is to follow a diet that is healthy and personalized for your own needs and to combine the diet with physical activity and regular exercise.

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