The Anti-Diet: How To Lose Weight Without Dieting - Review

I was looking around for some weight loss and dieting information last week and it was a collegue of mine that pointed me to a site the promotes an e-book called The Anti-Diet: How To Lose Weight Without Dieting.

In this book, they discuss in detail:

** the foods you should eat and the ones you should avoid
** the exercises you should do and when to do them to achieve optimal weight loss
** the motivational tools you may need to start and continue to loose weight
** how to shop for foods in the grocery store
** how to change and stop craving for food
** how to chart your weight loss
** how to lose weight and keep it off

I found the book to be created as a no fluff, information filled book with over 40 pages. They do not care to give their customer's filler just to say we wrote a 350 page book filled with useless information, a bunch or recipes and pictures. I know that most of you are too busy to sit down and read a huge book and read information you already know. This is a no nonsense guide to lose weight the right way. If you want a book with a lot of filler and useless information this isn't the book for you. But if you want a book with tons of useful information and a guide to tell you exactly how to get started and keep the weight off than this book was written and is for you.

As an added value when I bought this e-book, they offered 4 bonuses that valued over $297 for free.

Namely, they are:
Bonus #1: What to Eat When You're Away From Home or on Vacation
Bonus #2: Foods that Burn Fat & Calories
Bonus #3: Exercises That Can Be Done Anywhere & At Anytime
Bonus #4: Free updates of The Anti-diet: How To Lose Weight Without Dieting & Keep It Off Forever! eBook.

They also offer a one-on-one consultation free with the eBook purchase. I haven't used this yet, but they state "When you are a month into your new lifestyle all you have to do is contact us and we will give you a FREE consultation to continue to guide you in the right direction."

So, check out the The Anti-Diet: How To Lose Weight Without Dieting now!

Best Weight Loss Pills - Weight Loss Pills - Are They Safe

by Ricky Hussey

It's the latest weight-loss pill or herbal supplement that has people talking and you wondering whether it really works. Certainly the appeal of losing weight quickly is hard to pass up.

But do these pills and products lighten anything but your wallet? And are they a safe option for weight loss? Here's a look at some over-the-counter weight-loss pills and what they will and won't do for you.

Types of Weight Loss Pills

There are two basic types of weight loss or diet pills: prescription pills and non-prescription pills.
Prescription Pills - Weight Loss Drugs

Prescription weight loss pills are like drugs. They are closely regulated and require FDA approval. Examples of such weight loss pills include Xenical (Orlistat), Phentermine/ Fentermine and Meridia (Sibutramine). These pills are typically subjected to a range of clinical tests to prove their effectiveness for weight reduction and to monitor side effects and health risks.

Three major categories for this are- appetite suppressants, fat burners and fat blockers. Although all of the mentioned are very popular, fat blockers are now available more easily and have gained enormous popularity in a short period of time. Xenical in particular has been very popular. Some have even referred this to be among the best weight loss pills ever. Xenical which is the brand name for Orlistat works by blocking a pancreatic enzyme called lipase and subsequently inhibiting fat absorption.

So does Xenical live up to the mark of being considered among the best weight loss pills? Clinical studies have proven that Xenical works on varying degrees on different people, but it does work. The variation is determined by compliance, diet and exercise. In one year clinical trials between 35.5% and 54.8% of the subjects achieved atleast a 5% reduction in body mass. Upto 24.8% actually achieved atleast a 10% reduction in body mass!! The most impressive finding was the reduction of incidence of type II diabetes in almost 37% of the subjects. It was because of these findings that Xenical is considered among the best weight loss pills ever.

As scientists start to tap into the earth and realize the possibilities that can come from it, we will start to see more natural organic products for our health start to come out. Luckily for those looking to lose weight quickly and keep it off there are products out there that work differently then prescription drugs. These herbal weight loss pills work WITH your body and help you lose weight and keep it off.

Do Weight Loss Pills Work?

Weight loss pills can be effective and sometimes it does not work. When these pills are used under the supervision of medical department along with the exercise program and proper diet, these pills are effective for the short term. The body is adapted to various weight loss pills, so it provides less benefit to the people.

Will Hypnosis For Weight Loss Work For You?

As of the moment weight loss hypnosis has been the subject of many questions some people just find the procedure a little too easy for weight loss. Most of the experts say otherwise. The problem with believing in weight loss hypnosis can be rooted to the false ideas of hypnosis that television and Hollywood has embedded into our minds.

Hollywood has created the mindset that a hypnotist is a person with a spiral rotating glasses that makes the person go all sleepy or maybe aperson with a pendulum in a chain that oscillates ever so slightyly, some even go as far as having full control over a person's actions and decisions.

Misconceptions

1.A person won't hear anything other than the voice of the hypnotist. This isn't true, the senses do not become selective with hypnosis.

2.The hypnotist has complete control over the patient during hypnosis. This is again false, in fact hypnosis gives the subject more control over his decisions it just removes the scattered inhibitions that a person usually connect with weight loss.

3.Only the gullible and weak minded are affected by hypnotism. This isn't true, every normal person can be hypnotized. Anyone willing to follow instructions for self-improvement can be hypnotized.

4.Hypnosis puts things into your mind and controls you. No hypnosis is never about mind control nor putting things into your mind. Basically, a person already has it in himself to improve. In the case of weight loss hypnosis, a person entering into the program already has the want to lose weight, but is only inhibited due to their past or the negative vibes in their environment. These negative conditioning is removed through hypnosis, and what is left is the person's desire to lose weight.

Real life hypnosis is actually giving the person more control over his actions. For example, people who volunteer to go up on stage after hypnosis, this isn't a form of mind control rather hypnosis gives the person an acceptable context that makes a person realize that their inhibitions aren't as important as they make them to be.

As for hypnosis for weight loss, most of the time hypnosis helps by contributing to the person's will power. Most of the time, people who try to lose weight by sheer willpower fail miserably because willpower is from the conscious mind. However, we can see that the conscious mind isn't all that controls the body, in most cases, the unconscious has more control over the body than the conscious. Oftentimes, having a conscious driving force towards weight loss can produce a conscious driving force towards the other direction, that which is towards self contentment, which is most of the time either snacking or forgoing the trip to the gym.

Hypnosis uses a series of conversations with the unconscious mind to lose inhibitions and to see the benefit of the activity, in this case wight loss. By removing the negative training that your environment has given you, the body will automatically go towards what it thinks is the better more beneficial path, which is in this case healthy eating and exercising behaviors.

Hypnosis in a sense, lets the person control his emotions, rather than letting his emotions control him. It is all a matter of reinforcing the desire to lose weight that is already there and then removing the inhibitions against it.

Bill Urell, the author, reviews only the best diet and fitness plans, tips, and articles that promote healthier lifestyles.

Source: http://www.fullofarticles.com/Article/Will-Hypnosis-For-Weight-Loss-Work-For-You-/105759

EcoSlim Natural Slimming Drops - Weight Loss Without Pills!

Do you feel tired and lethargic all the time?
Is it difficult to lose weight even when you diet?
Do you often suffer from constipation?
Is your hair and skin dull and lifeless?
Do you suffer from allergies, sinus headaches, acne and frequent colds and flu?

I'd like to share with you a very successful product called EcoSlim by Native Remedies.

Smart lifestyle and EcoSlim - the safe, effective approach

Native Remedies, together with a leading clinical psychologist, has formulated a healthy herbal supplement which can boost metabolism, improve liver and digestive functioning and help you to get those pounds off without harming your health!

Used as part of a healthy eating plan and a regular exercise program, EcoSlim can help you to lose weight and keep it off forever, leaving you feeling slim and full of vitality!

What people are saying...

“I tried every diet in the book. I was always on a different diet but if I lost weight it would go straight back on. Your weightloss drops helped me to stay on track and I realized for the first time that I did not have to starve to lose weight! The slimming drops made a big difference and every time I stood on the scale I had a smile on my face! After two weeks I had already lost 11 lbs, after 6 weeks I weighed 30 lbs less than when I started! I have never felt or looked so good!”

—Janey, USA

“I usually don't write in but I really felt that I wanted to tell you that Ecoslim did everything it promised to do. I usually exercise twice a week and am not a big eater, but I just couldn't lose weight, especially in my thighs and hips. I have now lost 6 pounds without any effort. There is much less cellulite too.”

—Tabitha, USA

“I am an emotional eater and I could never stay on a diet. Michele said I should take MindSoothe together with Ecoslim. I have succeeded for the first time in keeping to my diet and I have been eating sensibly with no binging for the last 6 weeks, which is a record for me! I can see the pounds coming off and everyone at work has been complimenting me!”

—Malinda M., USA

“Ecoslim gives me energy and I can feel that my body is working better. I have been eating less without trying and I have already lost 10 pounds.”

—Wendy, USA

“I was immobile for 2 years and gained weight, had a full hip replacement and needed something to get me back on track to the active person I was. I started on EcoSlim on June 16th and to date I have lost 16 lbs. I was looking for a natural product that had no side effects and after researching your product and breaking down every ingredient/herb finding the common name, felt EcoSlim was the safest weight control product to use. I still have a ways to go but losing 16 lbs. in less than 2 months makes me feel and look great. It works and is safe and natural and I am a satisfied customer. Thank you :-)”

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Are you ready for weight loss?

So you've decided you want to lose weight. Sure, you know that accomplishing your goal means cutting calories, but have you considered what else you need to do to get to your target weight?

Once you've made up your mind to lose weight, you probably want to get started while your willpower is strong. But if you don't plan ahead, you'll likely be ill-equipped for any challenges you face along the way, making it far too easy to give up and increasing the risk you'll put the weight back on.

So before you throw out all your chocolate and stock up on carrot sticks, here are some things you may want to consider.

• Have you discussed your plan with your doctor? Aside from helping you to determine a healthy weight, your doctor can help you to set appropriate goals, determine whether you have any health concerns that could affect your weight loss plans, and point you towards additional resources if you need some extra help.



• Have you set a reasonable target weight? Sure you may want to look like the airbrushed models you see in the glossy magazines, but have you thought about whether that is a realistic weight for you? Your doctor can help you to determine a target weight that can help you look and feel your best. Or use our ideal weight range calculator.



• Is your plan realistic? Weight loss is yet another example of 'slow and steady' winning the race. Rather than trying to drop a size by tomorrow, set a goal of 1 to 2 pounds (no more than 1 kg) per week. It takes a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose a pound - so to meet this goal, aim to cut 500 to 1,000 calories a day through a combination of diet and exercise.



• Have you planned for setbacks? When was the last time you set a goal and every little detail went according to plan? While an optimistic outlook will help you reach your goal, if you don't think about how you'll handle any setbacks along the way, you're not giving yourself all the tools you need to succeed. You may feel disappointed with yourself if you give into temptation and have that extra slice of chocolate cake, but decide ahead of time how you are going to handle such roadblocks so they don't derail your weight loss plans.



• Do you have a support system? For some people, weight loss feels best as a solitary effort, while others may find support and advice from someone who can relate helps them stick to the plan. Think about your style and seek out support if you think it will help you. Family, friends, weight loss groups and online forums can all provide the encouragement and advice you are seeking.



• Have you thought long term? In truth, losing the weight is only the first part of your goal. Keeping it off is the second. Think about whether you are ready to make permanent changes to your eating and exercise habits, because your old ways are how you gained the weight in the first place.

Article Source: http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel_section_details.asp?text_id=3352&channel_id=1055&relation_id=17811
Written and reviewed by the MediResource Clinical Team

Walking to Lose Weight - Lose Weight by Walking

Author: Alien

Walking is often recommended as part of a weight loss program. Find out how far, how fast, and how often you should walk as part of a weight management program. Learn how to burn fat and eat better. Most people are curious to find the answer to the question: does walking help you lose weight. Well, walking is actually one of the easiest and most effective ways of losing weight, provided you show a complete sincerity in doing it. Going for a walk once in a blue moon won't really help. If you wish to make a difference, then you will have to put in hard labor to achieve your goal and then sky is the limit.

It's true. By adding this natural and inexpensive exercise to your agenda, you can lose weight and keep it off. The key is to be persistent, stick to a regular program and make it interesting.

Interested in Intervals?

Try incorporating intervals to make your walking workout more challenging. This doesn't mean you have to cross-train. Simply walk very quickly for a brief period and then slow back down to your normal pace and repeat.

Hills will Help

This could be as simple as finding a staircase to climb during your route or making a side trip to the nearest natural incline. And the more you mix it up, the more effective your workout will be. Plus, your leg muscles will begin to look more defined and toned. Start out with adding them just once a week.

Get Your Arms into the Action

When developing a routine to lose weight by walking, it is important to use as much of you body as possible. If you bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle while walking and pump the back and forth while walking, you will move faster and burn more calories.

I've always had dogs, but I didn't walk much with my last one. And guess what? For the first time in my life I gained weight. Since getting my new dog, who happens to be a Belgian Shepherd so you can imagine how active he is, I've shed a few pounds.

Recently, we discovered a new park that actually has exercise stops. That's where you are given various stationary "equipment" and a sign with instructions on how to use them. For instance, you can do chin ups on a raised bar. You can walk the balance beam. You can do step-ups. You can do 10 pushups. You can climb up and over a 4 or 5 foot wall.

Of course, you can do sit-ups, abs crunches, and various stretches, too.

Obviously your dog can't do most of those exercises, but he probably doesn't need to. You do.

There are a number of reasons why it's good to take advantage of those exercise stations.

1) They take the boredom out of just walking

2) They give you a more complete workout

3) They boost your heart rate more so than walking

4) They will help sculpt your body

5) They help you to lose weight

The best way to exercise to lose weight is to walk in intervals of fast walking and slow walking. You can even add short jogs if you like. You do this by alternating and giving each variation one or two minutes, and repeat the cycle 10-15 times. This type of exercising, called interval training, helps boost your metabolism while giving you a good fitness workout.

When you add in those exercise stations, your magnify your results.The key to losing weight by walking is to do it consistently at least 5 times per week for a minimum of 30 minutes a day. Keep challenging yourself to walk faster and further as your body gets used to the exercise. Eat healthy and stay away from junk food (at least most of the time) and you will be able to lose weight.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/walking-to-lose-weight-lose-weight-by-walking-235404.html

About the Author: Read out Blackheads. Also check out for bodybuilding clothes and weight loss

Best Food for Weight Loss Some Foods Help Lose Weight

Author: Alien

No food alone could ever cause us to lose weight, there is no such thing as the best single weight loss food. We all understand that weight loss is the result of the energy consumed from all various foods within the diet, and that a diet's total energy must be lower than the energy used by the body. Some foods make it really difficult to lose weight. They create their own self-sustaining cravings ("Betcha can't eat just one!") and play havoc with your blood sugar and, ultimately, your waistline. But other foods do just the opposite.

Statistical data from 2003 to 2006 indicate that obesity rates had risen in 31 of the 50 American states. The data came from surveys conducted by different local health departments on the height and weight of people from different states. Another result of the survey pointed out a close relationship between obesity and heart disease among the respondents. Due to the serious health implications of the study, state funding had been allocated to educate people about the dangers of being obese and overweight. The government-sponsored weight loss programs also focused on simple information campaigns about good eating habits. People were provided flyers and other reading materials that contained information on how to make proper food choices. This strategy made sense since there are types of food that can actually curb one's appetite and stop your sugar cravings. These food groups also boost metabolism which helps consume stored fat in the body which, in the process, leads to weight loss. Shown below are some of the “good food” that should be part of a weight watchers eating plan:

1. Beans – Beans contain cholecystokinin, a digestive harmone that acts as a natural appetite suppressant. Beans also keep blood sugar on an even keel and helps stave off hunger longer. High-fiber bean varieties can even lower cholesterol levels.

2. Salad – Eating salad is highly recommended by the American Dietetic Association because the vegetable-based meal is rich in vitamins c and e, lycopene, folic acid, and carontenoids. However, it is best to cut down on the dressing when eating salad. Some salad dressings can actually be high in calories.

3. Eggs – Eaten in moderate amounts, eggs are good for the health since these contain protein that helps prevent spikes in blood sugar. Weight watchers are often advised to eat only egg whites.

4. Green Tea - This type of tea is an antioxidant and helps stimulate metabolism which, in turn, burns fat. Green tea is rich in antioxidants called catechins.

5. Soup – Having a little chicken soup is good for the body because it helps decrease hunger. Chicken soup is considered a folk remedy for colds and flu.

6. High-fiber Cereals – Cereals which are high in fiber help improve digestion and are good for reducing hunger pangs.

7. Tofu – If you eat tofu, you tend to eat less food. Tofu is considered as an appetite-quashing protein.

8. Desserts: You have to try and keep your sweet tooth under absolute control and avoid desserts.

9. Olive Oil - Cooking food in olive oil is healthy because it contains mono-unsaturated fat which is widely accepted as a product that helps prevent cardiovascular disease.

10. Pears – This fruit is a good source of fiber and fructose which does not cause spikes in blood-sugar levels.

11. Nuts - Research released by Purdue University showed that adding about 500 calories of peanuts to their regular diet helped them eat less food that could cause weight gain.

12. Watermelon - Who doesn’t love diving into a crisp, juicy slice of watermelon when it's hot outside?

"Half of the watermelon comes from water. …It’s a wonderful way to satisfy thirst and a yen for something sweet," says Moores.

To keep your cool and cut your time in the kitchen, start with prepared produce, such as cut-up fruit and washed greens. Add rotisserie chicken, prepared soups, and pre-threaded kabobs when you need something a bit heartier. Pre-prepped foods may cost a little extra, but they save time in the kitchen.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/best-food-for-weight-loss-some-foods-help-lose-weight-235487.html

About the Author: Read out Blackheads. Also check out for bodybuilding clothes and weight loss

Researchers Examine Weight Loss Programs for Pre Teens

By Regina Sass

Obesity among pre teens is getting to be a national epidemic. The number of overweight children in the U.S. has tripled in the past few decades and the health care cost has nearly quadrupled. And researchers from Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, have taken a look at different intervention programs designed to help the children get the weight off and keep it off as well.

They found that children who participated in a type of program that focused on behavioral skills or social skills were able to keep the weight off more effectively, but the effectiveness decreased over time.

The researchers examined the effects of two interventions. These were done after the usual family based behavioral weight loss treatment. One was a behavioral skills maintenance program, BSM and the other one was a social facilitation maintenance intervention, SFM and there was another group that did not get any intervention.

The BSM program is based on the idea that specific plans are needed in order to maintain weight loss. It puts the emphasize on self regulation and relapse prevention strategies. The SFM method, on the other hand, is based on the idea that the child will relapse because of the absence of a social environment. In this program they also address peer factors like teasing and self perception - body image- as being barriers to the child's physical activity.

The initial part of the study was done between October 1999 and July 2004 and the children were followed up at the one year and two year marks. The participants were 204 healthy children, 7 to 12 years old. All of them were 20 to 100% above the midpoint body mass index for age and sex and had at least one parent who was overweight. The children were enrolled for five months of weight loss treatment and 150 of them were randomly put into one of three groups, either the control group that received no intervention or the BSM ro SFM group.

The results showed that the children who were in either the BSM or the SFM groups maintained relative weight much better that those who were in the control group from the start of the program to the post weight maintenance phase. There was a decline in the effectiveness in relation to the control group during the followup period but the effect of SFM alone as well as when analyzed along with BSM were much better than the control group

The lead researcher is Denise E. Wilfley, Ph.D., of Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis.

Source: Washington University http://www.newswise.com/

Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle, which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements.

No Shortcuts to Health and Weight Loss

For some, losing weight is a never-ending battle that entails personal and social consequences. Being overweight is now a health problem for about two-thirds of the current U.S. population. Being overweight and obese increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and some forms of cancer, and other diseases. As a social problem, being obese or overweight makes a person more susceptible to ridicule and name calling. In fact, it is now common to hear friends and relatives greet each other by saying, “Oh! You gained weight!” The more complimentary form is when people greet others by saying, “Wow! You look like you've lost a lot of weight!” Either way, the subliminal message of these greetings point to society's obsession with physical beauty. No wonder, many overweight and obese individuals struggle with maintaining their confidence and self-esteem in the face of society's aesthetic demands.

Due to these health risks and social consequences, more and more people are now becoming more conscious about their figure and lifestyle. Fitness and health industries are now experiencing a business boom due to the sheer number of people who want to shed excess weight. Somehow, even the busiest executives and hardworking employees are finding time to break some sweat. A lot of people have also become more conscious about their eating habits to the point that they now count every calorie in every meal they have.

Still, not all can afford the expensive gym memberships, much less have time to run on a treadmill or lift weights. Majority of people who need to lose weight struggle with having to cut down on food intake or in staying away from calorie-rich foods. Lack of time, discipline, and will to shed off those excess pounds has led many weight watchers to a “quick fix” method --- using so-called ““miracle diets.” While a lot of diet plans offer “guaranteed” results, many do not have the focus to stay with their eating plan. The effectiveness of the trendiest and most popular diet fad ultimately depends on a person's ability and willingness to choose the right food and amount to eat. It's really not about the recipe...but about the person's desire to cut down on food.

Now, for some, there is an even better “quick fix” method of going on a diet. Instead of going to the gym and missing out on one's favorite delicacies, some people take weight loss pills. These weight loss pills work by helping reduce the absorption of fat in food that we eat; or act as an appetite suppressant.
There are a number of weight-loss pills available at the local drugstore, supermarket, and health food store. There are even weight loss pills that can be bought online. However, the safety and efficacy of these pills have not been adequately substantiated or proven. Some fake weight loss pills are downright dangerous.

Most people have heard of contemporary herbal weight loss pills, such as the ephedra (ma huang) pills or Hoodia Gordonii which are very popular today. In the last few years, hoodia has been heavily marketed as the latest in a long list of “miracle herbal products” that promote weight loss and over-all health. The ban on certain weight loss diet pills such as ephedra has opened up a new market for Hoodia. The said drug is now sold in health shops and in the Internet in various forms: capsulated, powder, liquid, or as tea. Despite its popularity, there is no published research or random controlled trial in humans to show that Hoodia is safe or effective in pill form. Many of the Hoodia products being sold today are difficult to analyze in terms of purity or freshness.

To provide the public a safer and tested product, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a reduced-strength, over-the-counter version of weight loss ingredient called Orlistat. It is a prescription weight-loss medication for adults aged 18 and older. Orlistat, otherwise known as Alli, helps promote weight loss by decreasing absorption of fat by the intestines. The capsules are taken with meals, up to three times a day. This ingredient or pill is among the list of very popular weight loss diet pills. Still, Orlistat is intended to be used in conjunction with a reduced-calorie and low-fat diet, and regular exercise.

Losing weight is important to maintain one's health and to sustain a person's sense of comfort and confidence in social settings. People who are still in search for the best weight loss diet pill should make sure that the products they use are safe and FDA-approved. Losing weight should also be done in a very gradual manner. Starving one's self is a no-no. Indeed, losing weight should ultimately be about regaining one's health and not just to attain physical perfection --- if there is such a thing. Losing weight and reaching the ideal number of pounds takes time. There are no shortcuts to weight loss and to achieving optimum health.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/no-shortcuts-to-health-and-weight-loss-226305.html

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Weight Loss for After Pregnancy

By Shabi Guptha

Right, so you’ve had a baby, and you’re distressingly aware of the extra weight you’ve gained, which just didn’t seem to melt off at the time of birth. This is very natural and you can look to have retained about 10-15 pounds of your pregnancy weight. However, not to despair as it is immensely possible to achieve successful weight loss after pregnancy.

The key things that you need to do this are determination to carry you through to the end, the desire to lose weight to begin with, a good, healthy weight loss plan, and the realization on your part that unlike in the movies, the weight will not melt off in a matter of a few fast forwarded minutes.

You will need to work for your weight loss after pregnancy, and it will take time regardless of how you go about it, if you want to achieve a healthy weight loss. Rapid weight loss is not encouraged, especially as you have only recently given birth. You, and your body, need time to recover from this experience, and you won’t do that by putting your body through the trauma of a rapid weight loss.

That said, for women looking for weight loss after pregnancy, the best course of action they can follow is the one which advocates a nine month system. In other words, since it took nine months to gradually pile on the pounds, you can expect it to take about the same amount of time to come off. This is of course, if you do it in a healthy manner.

Another thing that you will want to keep in mind regarding weight loss after pregnancy, is that if you are breastfeeding you will need the proper nutrients and foods to keep your body healthy so that you have enough milk for baby.

And if you were unaware of this, breastfeeding mothers will most likely lose most of their postpartum weight after they have weaned baby. In fact, most of the weight you are carrying is because your body was readying itself during the nine months for you to eventually breastfeed your baby.

It has been studied that new mothers who breastfeed their babies, burn up to about 700 calories a day. A significant amount when you look at it. The only thing you need to be aware of is that the weight won’t come off as such until you wean baby.

However, it is best if you don’t depend entirely on this method of weight loss after pregnancy, because as reliable as it is, you also need to factor in other things such as your diet and the amount of exercise you get. If any of these conflicts with, or impinges on your weight loss plans, you can be assured that the weight you were to lose breastfeeding would become negligible.

So, stick to a weight loss regime that is healthy and suitable for you, and you see that weight loss after pregnancy isn’t so impossible after all.




Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle, which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements.

Toyo Introduces Flower Extract for Weight Loss

By Clarisse Douaud

Japanese ingredient company Toyo Bio-Pharma has introduced branded Puer flower extract as an ingredient for weight management in the US.

The extract is derived from pueraria thomsonii, a lush vine that produces flowers said to have beneficial properties that both help in both weight management and in promoting liver health.

Toyo is bringing the extract to the US market after it has been traditionally used in Chinese medicine for centuries.

In China, the flower is associated with cleansing properties for overall health and circumstantial motives such as hangovers and overindulgence. However, Toyo is proposing the ingredient for a more specific platform that has a vast potential market in the US.

"There are many possible applications for this safe and effective raw material, which is available as a granulated powder, liquid or tablet," said Toyo's chief marketing officer, Mario Kahn. "It is a valuable addition to our portfolio and a cost effective ingredient that is proven effective in the weight loss category."

According to the company, its recent research has shown the pueraria extract can reduce visceral fat around body organs and other fats like cellulite. The main active ingredients in the extract are isoflavones. Isoflavones are phytoestrogens - active substances derived from plants that have a weak oestrogen-like action.

Toyo cites a human clinical trial conducted over a period of four-months, in which participants took 200mg of the extract per day and lost an average of 1.1 inches off their waist and lowered their body fat by 0.9 percent.

The average BMI for the subjects over the age of 24 years who were taking 300mg was 26.22 at the outset; 25.94 on week four; and 25.64 by week eight. At 200mg per day, the numbers were 26.76 in the beginning, 26.69 in week four, and 26.62 in week 8. While for the 100mg group, the initial BMI stood at 26.99; at week four it was 26.82; and by week eight it was 26.72.

The control group started at a BMI of 26.55, and it shifted only slightly to 26.42 and then 26.36 over the same time periods.

In laboratory studies on mice, the Toyo's research similarly revealed fat loss. Mice that were fed a high-fat diet for 25 days while taking five-percent puer flower extract finished with one-half the visceral fat and one-third less body fat when compared to the control group.

The US weight management market is said to be the world's single largest one. Euromonitor International estimates the US weight management supplements market to be worth $3.93bn, while the European market is valued at around $0.93bn.

The potential for new ingredients could still be huge if marketed the right way given that an estimated 66 percent of adults in the US are either overweight or obese, based on results from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Toyo's sources its puerariae thomsonii flower from China and Taiwan, and the ingredient is obtained by means of a hot water extraction process it says is chemical-free.

The company claims to sell more FOSHU products in Japan than any other company worldwide, as well as to be the producer of the country's largest volume-selling dietary supplement product - Young Barley Grass Juice.


Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle, which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements.

3500 Calories To Lose A Pound - Is This Formula All Wrong?

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
BurnTheFat.com

Most fitness conscious people have heard that there are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat, so if you create a deficit of 3500 calories in a week, you lose a pound of weight. If you create a deficit of 7000 calories in a week, you lose two pounds, and so on. Right? Well, not so fast…

Dr. Kevin Hall, an investigator at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda has done some interesting research about the mechanisms regulating human body weight. He recently published a new paper in the International Journal of Obesity that throws a wrench in works of the “3500 calories to lose a pound” idea.

Some of the equations in his paper made my head hurt, but despite the complex math he used to come to his conclusions, his article clearly prompts the question, "3500 calories to lose a pound of WHAT?" His paper also contained a lot of simple and practical tips you can use to properly balance your caloric intake with output, fine tune your calorie deficit and help you retain more muscle when you diet.

Below, I’ve distilled some of the information into a simple bullet-point summary that any non-scientist can understand. Then I wrap up with my interpretation of how you can apply this data in your own fat loss program:

Calculating the calories required to lose a pound and fine-tuning your caloric deficit

• 3500 calories to lose a pound has always been the rule of thumb. However, this 3500 calories figure goes back to research which assumed that all the weight lost would be adipose tissue (which would be ideal, of course).


• But as we all know (unfortunately), lean body mass is lost along with body fat, which would indicate that the 3500 calorie figure could be an oversimplification.


• The amount of lean body mass lost is based on initial body fat level and size of the calorie deficit


• Lean people tend to lose more lean body mass and retain more fat.


• Fat people tend to lose more body fat and retain more lean tissue (revealing why obese people can tolerate aggressive low calorie diets better than already lean people)


• Very aggressive low calorie diets tend to erode lean body mass to a greater degree than more conservative diets.


• Whether the weight loss is lean or fat gives you the real answer of what is the required energy deficit per unit of weight loss


• The metabolizable energy in fat is different than the metabolizable energy in muscle tissue. A pound of muscle is not 3500 calories. A pound of muscle yields about 600 calories.


• If you lose lean body mass, then you lose more weight than if you lose fat.


• If you create a 3500 calorie deficit in one week and you lose 100% body fat, you will lose one pound.


• But if you create a 3500 calorie weekly deficit and as a result of that deficit, lose 100% muscle, you would lose almost 6 pounds of body weight! (of course, if you manage to lose 100% muscle, you will be forced to wear the Dieter’s Dunce cap)


• If you have a high initial body fat percentage, then you are going to lose more fat relative to lean, so you may need a larger deficit to lose the same amount of weight as compared to a lean person


• Creating a calorie deficit once at the beginning of a diet and maintaining that same caloric intake for the duration of the diet and after major weight loss fails to account for how your body decreases energy expenditure with reduced body weight


• Weight loss typically slows down over time for a prescribed constant diet (the “plateau”). This is either due to the decreased metabolism mentioned above, or a relaxing of the diet compliance, or both (most people just can’t hack aggressive calorie reductions for long)


• Progressive resistance training and or high protein diets can modify the proportion of weight lost from body fat versus lean tissue (which is why weight training and sufficient protein while on calorie restricted diets are absolute musts!)

So, based on this info, should you throw out the old calorie formulas?

Well, not necessarily. You can still use the standard calorie formulas to figure out how much you should eat, and you can use a 500-1000 calorie per day deficit (below maintenance) as a generic guideline to figure where to set your calories to lose one or two pounds per week respectively (at least that works “on paper” anyway).

Even better however, you could use this info to fine tune your caloric deficit using a percentage method and also base your deficit on your starting body fat level, to get a much more personalized and effective approach:

15-20% below maintenance calories = conservative deficit
20-25% below maintenance calories = moderate deficit
25-30% below maintenance calories = aggressive deficit
31-40% below maintenance calories = very aggressive deficit (risky)
50%+ below maintenance calories = semi starvation/starvation (potentially dangerous and unhealthy)

(Note: According to exercise physiologists Katch & Mcardle, the average female between the ages of 23 and 50 has a maintenance level of about 2000-2100 calories per day and the average male about 2700-2900 calories per day)

Usually, we would suggest starting with a conservative deficit of around 15-20% below maintenance. Based on this research, however, we see that there can be a big difference between lean and overweight people in how many calories they can or should cut.

If you have very high body fat to begin with, the typical rule of thumb on calorie deficits may underestimate the deficit required to lose a pound. It may also be too conservative, and you can probably use a more aggressive deficit safely without as much worry about muscle loss or metabolic slowdown.

If you are extremely lean, like a bodybuilder trying to get ready for competition, you would want to be very cautious about using aggressive calorie deficits. You’d be better off keeping the deficit conservative and starting your diet/cutting phase earlier to allow for a slow, but safe rate of fat loss, with maximum retention of muscle tissue.

The bottom line is that it’s not quite so simple as 3,500 calories being the deficit to lose a pound. Like lots of other things in nutrition that vary from person to person, the ideal amount of calories to cut “depends”…

Note: The Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle program not only has an entire chapter dedicated to helping you calculate your exact calorie needs, it was designed very specifically to keep a fairly conservative approach to caloric deficits and to maximize the amount of lean tissue you retain and minimize the amount of metabolic adaptation that occurs when you’re dieting. The approach may be more conservative, and the fat loss may be slower, but it has a better long term track record… You can either lose weight fast, sacrifice muscle and gain the fat back like 95% of people do, or lose fat slow and keep it off forever like the 5% of the people who know the secrets. The choice is yours. For more information, visit: http://www.burnthefat.com

References:

Forbes GB. Body fat content influences the body composition response to nutrition and exercise. Ann NY Acad Sci. 904: 359-365. 2000

Hall, KD., What is the required energy deficit per unit of weight loss? Int J Obesity. 2007 Epub ahead of print.

McArdle WD. Exercise physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human performance. 4td ed. Williams & Wilkins. 1996.

Wishnofsky M. Caloric equivalents of gained or lost weight. Am J Clin Nutr. 6: 542-546.

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: BurnTheFat.com

The New Visualization Breakthrough: Mental Training Tactics For Health And Fitness Success

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
BurnTheFat.com

Understanding the mind's role in motivation and behavior is one of the most critical elements in physical fitness success. If you struggle with changing habits and behaviors or if you can’t get motivated, then even the best training and nutrition program is not much help.

A fascinating fact about your non-conscious mind is that it's completely deductive in nature. In other words, it is fully capable of working backwards from the end to the means. You do not need to have the means or the "know how" to achieve a goal at the time you first set the goal, because if you "program" only the outcome (the goal) successfully into your "mental computer," then your subconscious will take over and help you find the information and means and carry out the actions necessary to reach your desired end.

Many people are familiar with affirmations and goal-setting techniques as ways to give instructions to your subconscious mind. But perhaps the ultimate way to tap into the awesome powers of your mind is to use the technique called visualization. In one respect, affirmation and visualization are one in the same, because when you speak or think an affirmation first, that triggers a mental picture, being as the human brain "thinks" in pictures.

You can use visualization to program goals into your subconscious mind. It's simple: You close your eyes, and mentally create pictures and run movies of your desired end results. If repeated consistently and emotionally, mental images are accepted by your subconscious as directives to be carried out and this helps with changing habits, behavior and performance.

Although there are some new and creative ways to use visualization which you are about to learn, this is not really a new technique. Visualization has been discussed and written about in the fields of psychology and personal development for ages:

“If you want to reach your goal, you must 'see the reaching' in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal.”

- Zig Ziglar

“The use of mental imagery is one of the strongest and most effective strategies for making something happen for you.”

- Dr. Wayne Dyer

“Creative visualization is the technique of using your imagination to create what you want in your life.”

- Shakti Gawain

“Perhaps the most effective method of bringing the subconscious into practical action is through the process of making mental pictures - using the imagination.”

- Claude Bristol

"There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking."

- William James, 1842-1910, Psychologist and Author

Despite these glowing endorsements and a long track record, it’s hard for some people to get past feeling that this is just a "hokey" self-help technique. Rest assured however, that visualization is an effective and time-tested method for increasing personal achievement that has been used by some of the top athletes in the world for more than three decades.

Here's a bit of background: The Soviets started to popularize visualization in sports psychology back in the 1970's, as detailed in Charles Garfield's landmark book, "Peak Performance." They dominated in many sports during that period, which validated visualization anecdotally. In the last 10-15 years, there has been some groundbreaking new brain research which has also validated visualization scientifically.

Here's something that was written by Dr. Richard Restak, a neuroscientist and author of 12 books about the human brain:

"The process of imagining yourself going through the motions of a complex musical or athletic performance activates brain areas that improve your performance. Brain scans have placed such intuitions on a firm neurological basis. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans reveal that the mental rehearsal of an action activates the prefontal areas of the brain responsible for the formulation of the appropriate motor programs. In practical terms, this means you can benefit from the use of mental imagery."

So much for visualization being a "cheesy" self-help technique.

Although visualization is widely used today, even people who are familiar with it often don't realize its versatility and many applications. Arguably the most frequent use of visualization is by athletes (as well as musicians and other performers) as a form of mental rehearsal. Research has shown that "practicing in your mind" is almost as effective as practicing physically, and that doing both - mental and physical practice - is more effective than either one alone.

A common and simple use of visualization in the fitness context is “goal visualization,” which is simply making mental images of yourself already having achieved your perfect goal weight or with the type of muscularity you desire (i.e., see yourself with the "body of your dreams"). Alternately, you might visualize yourself completing a difficult lift like a squat or bench press. However, visualization does not need to be limited only to mental rehearsal or seeing pictures of your dream body in your mind's eye. The technique of visualization knows no bounds - because remember, you are working with your imagination.

One creative way you can use mental imagery is called “process visualization.” It works like this: Once you've set your goals, it's fairly easy to come up with a list of daily habits, behaviors and action steps you'll need to take to reach your goal. So write the action steps down and visualize them (the whole process, not just the end result). In your mind's eye, see yourself food shopping and making the right choices, see yourself ordering healthy foods from restaurant menus, visualize yourself saying no to sodas and drinking water instead, and mentally project yourself going to the gym consistently and having killer workouts. Some people literally visualize their entire “perfect day” as they would want it to unfold. When you do this as vividly, emotionally and in as much detail as you can, you will be neurologically priming your brain to carry out those behaviors.

The newest and least known of all mental imagery techniques is called “physiology visualization.” An example would be picturing the internal process of burning fat in your body or seeing the muscle fibers grow larger and larger. Using this technique, could it be possible that you might actually be giving subconscious instructions to your body's cells, organs and tissues?

Well, consider the work of Dr. Carl Simonton, a physician and cancer researcher who taught his patients (as one part of a comprehensive program), how to visualize what was going on in their bodies, down the level of imagining powerful immune cells devouring the cancer cells. I have to emphasize strongly that I cannot and will not suggest that you can materialize a lean and muscular body just by visualizing, any more than I can or will suggest that you can cure cancer with mental imagery (there's a step in between thought and manifestation - it's called action - a step that many 'new agers' conveniently forget to mention). However, thoughts and mental images are the precursors to action and the fact that a mind-body connection definitely exists makes this an exciting prospect.

Scientists have established the veracity of a mind-body link in many contexts, and not just by the existence of a placebo effect. There’s also more direct evidence as in the way emotional and mental stress can contribute to disease. The mind does affect the body! The mere fact that a branch of science has been devoted to this area is proof that it’s deserving of critical investigation and is not just the domain of infomercial self help gurus. The science is called psycho-neuro-immunology.

With this “physiology visualization” technique, you could, even as you were in the middle of a workout, imagine the fat burning process taking place, and visualize fat being released from adipose tissue storage (in your abdominal region or elsewhere). You could see the stored fat becoming free fatty acids, entering your bloodstream, being carried to the working muscles and being burned for energy in the mitochondria of the muscle cells. If you're interested in building muscle, just think about the applications of this technique as well! In fact, I can assure you, many bodybuilders have already used this method instinctively, without anyone ever telling them to do so.

Since we know more about the physiology of fat loss and muscle development today than ever before, you could make your imagery pretty detailed and vivid if you wanted to. My best suggestion is to refer to an anatomy & physiology or exercise science textbook that shows pictures of fat cells (adipocytes), blood vessels, myofibrils (muscle fibers), motor units, sarcomeres, and cell organelles like the mitochondria, so you know what the structures look like. You could also get more details about the processes by looking up lipolysis, hypertrophy, energy production, or beta oxidation of fat. This would allow you to run "mental movies" rather than just visualizing "still snapshots."

Even if you had no idea what the internal structure and workings of the body were like, you could still use this method. Your body responds to mental imagery even if it isn't anatomically correct. We know from the field of hypnosis that the subconscious mind responds well to metaphor – maybe even better than literal suggestions. Facts, figures and logic are the domain of the conscious mind, while emotion and metaphor can slip right past the conscious and into the subconscious. Dr. Simonton often wrote about his young patients who created (metaphorical) mental images of immune system cells as "knights in shining armor", slaying "the dragon" of cancer cells.

This is important, because as I mentioned earlier, one of your greatest mental powers is imagination. You can visualize anything you want and you can embellish and exaggerate your imagery as much as you want. For example, you could imagine the free fatty acid being burned for energy in the "cellular powerhouse" - the mitochondria - and you could imagine that the mitochondria is literally a furnace... "incinerating" the fat!

I think it’s a pretty cool idea to "see" your fat cells shrinking and visualize your body as a "fat burning furnace.” Even your very identity begins to slowly transform into that of a lean person, as you begin to visualize your body getting leaner and leaner, and you begin to say to yourself, “I am a fat-burning, muscle-making machine!”

Should you not believe that there's anything to the physiology visualization technique, that's ok, because we know as a fact that the subconscious is deductive, so just give it a goal and tell it what you want and it will get you there by automatically altering your attention and behavior. Therefore, we can be confident that physiology visualization will be effective even if only as a subconscious directive about your desired goal. If science someday provides us with more conclusive evidence that visualization actually does cause cellular - physiological changes in the body, well, that's just all the better.

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: BurnTheFat.com