Summertime weight loss

By Kyle Walker

Here we are. With less than a month away from summer, and suddenly, that goal you made at New Year’s has already changed drastically.

It started out as a determination to get a nice toned stomach for the summer, or something along those lines. With countless nights of drinking and eating God knows what, that goal has been altered to a hopeful wish for a flat, decent looking stomach.

You should have listened to me months ago when I told you to make fitness a lifestyle, and you would not have found yourself in this predicament. Well, I am not here to verbally abuse you, but simply offer up some advice.

First thing’s first; if you want that “beach bod” then slow down on the eating out and drinking the next few months. Not only will cutting back save you some cash, but you will save some calories as well.

People tend to overeat much more when they go out rather than when they cook at home. As far as drinking goes, alcohol slows down your metabolism. Not to mention, you probably don’t need to slaughter your immune system with finals approaching.

Another thing to consider is getting in more exercise. The next few weeks are going to be perfect for outdoor activities. With the weather being not too hot or cold, go for a scenic jog or gather up some friends and get a game of basketball or volleyball going.

Once you get the diet and the exercise portions of your life in check, there is one important thing you need to keep in mind. Don’t overdue it.

I know I have the words “Weight Loss” in the title, but that isn’t really what you are looking for. What you really want is “Fat Loss.” The last thing you want to do is stress out your body with a severe calorie deficit or overexerting yourself.

Eating too little will cause your body to burn more muscle than you would like. Even if you don’t desire to be muscular, muscle is still a very important part of your body fat percentage.

To get lean, all you want to lower is the percent of fat you have on your body. Losing 10 pounds but staying at the same percentage won’t change how you look that much.

Also, don’t get too hung up on the scale, the mirror is a better friend. Take a laxative and the scale will tell you that you lost weight but you aren’t going to look any different, so don’t waste your time.

These are just a few tips to keep you from freaking out in the upcoming weeks. However, you will see the real results when you make a healthy diet and an active lifestyle a part of your everyday life.

I know a crash diet is looking good right about now, but in the long term these are rarely beneficial, so do your best to avoid them.

Weight Loss Psychology

The following paragraphs summarize the work of Weight Loss Psychology experts who are completely familiar with all the aspects of Weight Loss. Heed their advice to avoid any diet surprises.

If you find yourself confused by what you've read to this point, don't despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

You see the razor-thin models gracing the covers of magazines, you watch actors and actresses on the big screen who seem to never gain a pound. And you wonder: How do I differ from them? You may be surprised to learn that a number of famous people at one time had difficulty maintaining a healthy weight. But they were able to conquer their problem, thanks to a new-and-improved, healthy view of eating.

You may not realize it, but there is a certain psychology at work in successful weight loss. It is no surprise, then, that the magazine Psychology Today has explored the issue in-depth. In October of 2004, the magazine posted an article on its website detailing the experiences of Diane Berry, a nurse practitioner who studied women who had shed at least 15 pounds and had maintained their weight loss for an average of seven years.

The women shared some important things in common. For instance, they all achieved their weight loss through either Weight Watchers or TOPS, which meant that they had a firm support network as they tried to maintain their weight. The group meetings were highly important, because they learned to recognize that they were certainly not alone in their struggles with weight. The women were also quite unusual because up to 90 percent of individuals who have lost weight end up putting it back on within five years.

Another common trait of these women is that they appeared to undergo a profound mood shift as they made the transition from fat to thin. From all indications, they appeared to be depressed when they were heavy but, as they attempted to lose weight, their mood brightened.

For these women, healthy eating became a habit—a habit they refused to break. They themselves recognized the tremendous role that psychology plays in weight loss. They refused to give in to negative feelings of frustration and denial and chose a positive path instead. The women also made it a point to weigh themselves regularly so that they could chart their progress.

And they recognized that maintaining weight loss would be a lifetime struggle. They knew that they could not attempt a weight loss program then put it back on the shelf. They had to learn new eating patterns that they could continue week in and week out. In some cases, they likened their struggle to that of an alcoholic. In other words, they recognized the gravity of their problem and took steps to correct the situation.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of these women’s experiences was the fact that their weight loss actually came in spurts. At times, they regained their weight, but they did not let that deter them from their final goal. They simply viewed their setbacks as challenges that they needed to overcome. This may be the key psychological trait that separates successful dieters from unsuccessful ones—perseverance. In essence, these women were able to change their personalities in a positive way in order to achieve their long-term weight loss goals.

Another interesting aspect of this study was that it showed that the women who had undergone weight loss transformation were genuinely happy. This shows the tremendous psychological impact that weight loss can have on an individual. Once an individual is free from the burden of extra weight, he or she is better able to meet the challenges of life head-on. The dieter benefits from positive reinforcement, as relatives, friends, and co-workers congratulate him or her for the weight loss. In this way, losing weight can be quite a life-affirming experience and can lead to a more optimistic outlook on life.

It must be noted here that the psychology of weight loss is a complicated matter. There is no single ingredient that can turn a fat person into a thin one. However, recognizing that there is a psychological component to successful weight loss may, in fact, be half the battle. Once an individual recognizes that he or she is engaged in a psychological fight, he or she is better able to do battle. By retraining oneself to seek healthy approaches to diet, one can, in effect, mold oneself into a new individual—one that no longer lives to eat, but simply eats to live.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.


J. Brian Keith is a proud contributing author for information about Atkins Diet Menu, Home Exercise Equipment and enjoys writing about many different topics.

4 Weight Loss Rumours Uncovered

The weight loss industry is rife with rumours. Almost everywhere you turn you will see lotions that claim to remove fat from whichever area of the body you apply them to, diets that claim you can lose weight by just eating your favourite junk food and products that claim they can magically make your fat melt away. Many of the rumours behind these products are misleading and in some cases completely untrue.

Rumour 1: You can Spot Reduce Fat- Many gels, lotions, pills, diets and exercise programs claim that you can burn fat from specific areas of your body. For example, certain products state that they can burn belly fat or leg fat. Other myths suggest that fat can be removed from particular areas of the body just by exercising that body part e.g. by doing stomach crunches you can burn belly fat.

Rumour 2: The Best Way to Lose Weight is through Cardiovascular Exercise- Before you continue reading let me say that I am not discounting the effectiveness of cardiovascular exercise as a fat burning solution. However, it is not necessarily the best choice and you should consider the other options that are available.

Rumour 3: Crash Diets lead to Long Term Weight Loss- Crash diets do work in the short term because you will be consuming a lot less calories than normal. However, in the long term your body adapts and goes into starvation mode which slows down your metabolic rate drastically, meaning that although you are eating fewer calories your are also burning a lot less. Furthermore, by depriving your body of calories you can stop it functioning properly and do some serious damage to your overall health.

Rumour 4: HCG can help you Lose Weight- HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is a hormone produced by the placenta of pregnant women. It was originally used to determine whether or not a woman was pregnant but more recently has been touted as a weight loss solution. There are a number of people claiming that HCG can help you lose weight. However, none of these claims are backed up by evidence. At the time of writing, not one medical or scientific study can prove that HCG is an effective weight loss supplement.

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Merck Weight Loss Drug Effective But With Some Side Effects

Merck & Co.’s experimental weight loss drug Taranbant was given to obese patients in low doses. The patients experienced significant weight loss, but side effects showed on the interim results from the pivotal trial released by the company on Monday.

A year of Taranbant 2mg doses coupled with diet and exercise made 2,500 patients lose an average of 14.5 pounds (57%), compared to the weight loss of 5.7 pounds (27%) experienced by the group given placebo. However, Merck discontinued a study of patients given more than 2mg doses as it increased side effects including depression, nausea and irritability.

Taranabant is a type of medicine from the rimonabant family, a Sanofi-Aventis SA drug that was rejected by the U.S. regulators in 2007 after being linked to depression and suicidal thoughts.

“We believe we have a different profile. We didn’t see the same neurological effects in preclinical trials that they did,” said Dr. John Amatruda, vice president of Merck’s metabolism clinical research.

Dr. Amatruda says the company plans on filing Taranabant for the U.S. regulatory approval, but declined to confirm if the application is seeking a label for weight loss.

The trial also showed the new drug improved cholesterol levels while reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors for diabetes and heart disease. However, the triall will continue for another year, expecting several pivotal trials with 0.5 mg doses and a study with diabetes patients.

Merck & Co. remains confident of its clinical development program, including a one-year extension for all existing and new trials to broaden and address safety issues from the FDA rimonabant review.

“Our compound appears to be a little more potent. The weight loss they had with 20 mg is close to what we have with 2 mg,” Amatruda said.