How to get those abs

Whether you're just starting an exercise program, or you've been at it for years, there is one thing on everyone's wish list: a toned stomach. Well-defined abdominal muscles are glorified as being sexy, healthy and youthful. You may have seen one once—the rare person who seems to know the "secrets" of perfect abs.

Does he know something that you don't? Is it possible for you, a regular person, to achieve the abs of your dreams? You may be surprised to learn that you can train less and see better results—yes it's true! And you don't have to buy any special equipment. All you need is your body and the proper training knowledge.

First, it’s important to understand the anatomy of the rectus abdominis (or abs, for short). They run down the front of the torso, from the center of the ribcage to the pubic bone. It's a common myth that the abs are made up of several different muscles (such as upper and lower abs). The fact that the word "abs" appears to be plural doesn't help this case.

It is one long sheet of muscle that just happens to look like several small muscles. This is due to a unique feature called "tendinous inscriptions." These inscriptions run across the muscle and down the center, giving it that "6-pack" (but more accurately, 8-pack) appearance. "If the abs are one muscle," you may be wondering, "then why do certain exercises seem to target different areas?"

Actually, all abdominal exercises target the entire muscle, but during some exercises, you just happen to feel it in one region of the muscle a little more. The abs are grouped with a few other muscles that are collectively referred to as the "core," which also includes your obliques (which run diagonally across your middle), transverse abdominis (a long muscle that runs horizonally beneath the rectus abdominis), and lower back (erector spinae muscles along the spine). Some experts also consider the hips to be part of the core.

Many people focus on training the abs but forget about these other muscles, which are also important. A good rule of thumb is that every time you train your abs, you should also target the obliques and lower back as well. When it comes to training for abs of steel, here's what you need to know: Burn fat. You may be surprised to know that most people actually DO have strong, defined abs…they just happen to be covered by a layer of fat. This is because the abs are actually involved in balance and stabilization during all kinds of every day movements and exercises. All the crunches (or other exercises) in the world won't burn the fat on top of the muscle.

To accomplish this, you need a combination of regular cardio (aerobic) exercise and a healthy diet to create a caloric deficit necessary to lose weight.
Don't crash diet. Some people will swear that a key to their flat abs is what they eat—or don't eat. Whether they omit dairy, milk, wheat, sugar, or something else, you do not have to drastically change your diet (or limit certain foods or food groups) to lose the belly bulge.
Simple, healthy eating habits (not deprivation) will help you drop excess weight from all over the body.
Be realistic. For visible abdominal definition, your body fat percentage has to be pretty low—that's about 8 percent body fat for men, and 14 percent body fat for women. To put this in perspective, "healthy" ranges of body fat are 14%-17% for men and 21%-24% for women. It may be impossible for some people to reach such low percentages without going to extreme measures. Remember that women are genetically predisposed to store more fat around the belly and need minimum levels of body fat to be healthy and menstruate. You'll have to decide if washboard abs are worth going to extremes or not. For most people, simply flattening the stomach and losing a few extra pounds is a realistic, attainable goal.

Train the abs like you would any other muscle. You should strength train all of your major muscle groups, which typically involves 1-3 sets of 8-15 repetitions per exercise. There is no need to do 50, 100 or thousands of crunches each day. In fact, if you are doing your exercises correctly, 8-15 repetitions are all that you need to feel the muscles working and get results. The key is to focus on your form, by deeply engaging your abs throughout each movement. This is commonly described as "pulling your navel towards your spine," or "scooping" the abs inward and it will help you engage more muscle fibers (especially the transverse abs), making each repetition more effective.

Just like you should allow your biceps, for example, to rest 1-2 days between workouts, the same is true for the abs. They also need time to rest, recover and rebuild to get stronger. Aim for no more than 3-4 abdominal training sessions per week.

Vary your program. Every exerciser should add variety to their exercises to keep the body surprised and continue seeing results.

Try to change up your exercises (both cardio and strength) at least every 4-6 weeks, if not more often. This will help prevent plateaus and allow you to progress from easier to more advanced exercises as you become stronger.

Don't forget the lower back! Include at least one lower back exercise every time you work your abs. These muscles work together all the time. Strong abs help prevent lower back pain, but so does a strong back.
Remember that when focusing on that muscle group, you should feel the muscles working—which is not the same as back pain. Do not attempt any exercise that actually hurts your back in any way. Pulling the abdominals in tight will offer greater support for the back during each of these exercises.
Here are my top picks:
Back Extensions. Simple and straightforward, you'll feel the back working after just a few of these!
Swimming. This Pilates exercise is a great for the entire core.
Slow Swimming with Ball. This advanced move targets the whole core, as you use the abdominals to help you balance on the ball.
There you have it—the real "secrets" to getting toned, flat, and strong abdominals. Now that you understand the abs and how to train them, you are equipped to reach your goals. Soon your friends and family will want to know your secrets!

Weight-loss surgery can leave saggy skin

While weight-loss surgery can be a life-changing and life-saving experience for many people, the after-effect can leave problems with sagging skin. After the fat is removed, patients still have stretched skin hanging. The surgery can also leave patients with rashes, infections, hernias and even psychological problems.

To combat these troubles, more insurance companies are now covering plastic surgery or body contouring for weight-loss surgery patients. Skin sagging can be severe, with one patient having skin from their stomach hanging below the knees, preventing her from walking. It took surgery get her out of a wheelchair.

Plastic surgery or body contouring can leave scaring.

How to Lose Fat in 30 Days

How to Lose Fat "To Do" List

• Set one 30-day goal to kick-start your progress. For example, "I will lose six pounds this month." One goal, that's all I want you to focus on.


• Perform cardiovascular exercise three days per week for 20-30 minutes. Nothing fancy, just something you enjoy or can at least tolerate every other day.


• Weight train two days per week for 20-25 minutes. This will help stimulate the metabolism, increase strength and make muscles tighter. You can do it the same day as your cardio if you wish.


• Focus on the type of physical activity that you find enjoyable. Most people stop exercising because they get bored. So decide if your exercise consistency will best happen with the use of video tapes, spinning classes, cardio classes that are instructor-led, dance classes, etc.


• Get outdoors. Power walk, jog, hike and take advantage of longer days, sunshine and warmer weather. This will alleviate the boredom factor for those who hate to exercise.
  

How to Lose Fat "NOT To Do" List

• Going home after work before going to the gym. Take your gym clothes with you and go straight to the gym after work.


• Making excuses such as "I'll start tomorrow," "I don't feel like working out today" and "I just can't get into it yet." Stop the excuses already!


• Even though you know you'll be working late and only have the morning to work out, deciding to stay in bed longer and miss the opportunity to get even a little exercise time in.


• Postponing physicals and other important doctor appointments. This is the time to get a check-up.


• Going to a fast-food restaurant at lunchtime when you can easily pack a healthy lunch, eat at your desk and then go for a brisk walk with co-workers.

This stuff isn't brain surgery and there's no magic workout or magic bullet that will improve your fitness level and reduce fat. Until the magic pill is developed, the guidelines I've provided are the best we have.

Commit to your nutrition plan and follow my realistic guidelines. I'm not suggesting it's easy, but this is the perfect time to start taking control of your life, your health and your self-esteem.

Does weight weigh heavily on your mind?

It cannot talk yet it speaks to you. Some days it makes you giddy with delight. Other days it puts you into a deep depression. It judges you on a superficial level. The thought of it is enough to worry even the most optimistic person. What am I talking about?

The notorious bathroom scale. What is with this obsession we have with the scale? For most people, the scale can be an adversary or an ally, depending on the day. We often hate what it says or argue with it, but we still feel the desire to use it. When used properly and taken for what it is, it can actually be a very useful tool for weight management.

But for many, the scale does more than measure the total weight of all your various parts. It somehow defines who you are as a person. And sadly, it can determine your own self-worth. We read way too much into this single-purposed tool. Here are four signs that you might put too much weight on weighing in:

1. You constantly worry about weighing in. When you're trying to lose weight, it's normal to experience some hesitation when it's time for your weekly weigh in. After all, you want to see the numbers go down as confirmation that all of your hard work has paid off. We all want to be rewarded for our efforts, and it can be discouraging when you have done everything right and things still don’t pan out. However, if you find yourself preoccupied with worrisome thoughts of what the scale is going to say tomorrow or the next day, then you might be a little too obsessed with the scale.

2. You weigh in more than once per day. I strongly recommend that you should weigh only once a week. Ever wonder why it's not a good idea to do it more often? Your body weight can and will fluctuate from day to day, and change throughout a single day, too. There is no sense in putting yourself on that roller coaster of ups and downs. In the war on weight, if you become so concerned that you weigh yourself daily or several times a day, you are fighting a losing battle and you will be discouraged. If you feel like you can't control yourself or stop yourself from weighing in each day, then you could be headed for trouble.

3. You can recite your weight to the nearest fraction at all times. This is a sure sign that you are relying too heavily on the scale. Anyone who can tell you not only how much she weighs each day, but measures her weight loss to the nearest quarter of a pound is probably weighing in too often. There is nothing wrong with wanting to see a lower number on the scale, even if it's a quarter pound lower, but remember that weighing in is more about trends (an average decrease or consistency in weight over time).

4. The scale determines how you feel about yourself for the day. When the number is down, you step off the scale singing and have a jump in your step all day. When the number goes up (or stays the same when you expected a loss), you feel so happy and delighted. To me, this is the saddest situation of all—to let the scale dictate how you should feel. How would you feel about yourself if you hadn't weighed in that day? What other ways would you determine your self-worth if weight didn't exist? If one (or all) of these situations sound familiar to you, it's time to step away from the scale. Or at the very least, weigh in less often. But what's a "compulsive weigher" to do? Instead letting the scale alone determine whether you're a success or failure, use more reliable measures to determine your progress. My philosophy is that weight loss is not a goal, but the result of healthy habits like a better diet and regular exercise. When you do step on the scale and don't see the reading you had hoped for, ask yourself these questions: Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing? Am I making healthy food choices most of the time? Am I exercising consistently? If you are, then rust that your body is making positive changes, and the results will come. If you are not, then resolve to be consistent in healthy behaviors to see the results you want.

Weighing yourself is definitely helpful and it has its place. Just make sure you don’t go overboard and give too much credence to this one measurement! After all, other measures (like how much energy you have, how much easier it is to climb a flight of stairs, or how well your clothes fit) might not be as precise or scientific, but they're sure to make you feel happier and more successful than a scale ever can.

How much exercise is enough?

A lot of doctors assumed that less vigorous exercise would not produce health benefits, even though there were few studies to answer that question one way or the other. But it was a common belief — and it still persists today. However, it’s wrong.

In the last 15 years, studies involving hundreds of thousands of people followed for many years have told quite a different story. The studies don’t dispute the benefits of regular vigorous aerobic exercise. Rather, they show that you really do get enormous health benefits from regular moderate exercise exercise much less vigorous than aerobic exercise.

What are the benefits from regular moderate exercise? The vary from dramatically lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, colon cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, dementia, fractures, gallstones, erectile dysfunction.

How much exercise can bring these benefits? Walking at a pace of 3 to 4 miles per hour (taking 15 to 20 minutes per mile), for 30 minutes, at least five times a week, will do it. You don’t have to do all 30 minutes consecutively. You can do it in pieces.

Suppose you park your car about a third of a mile from your workplace. A brisk walk from the car to the office takes about 6 minutes. If you do that twice a day, five days a week, that’s one hour of brisk walking each week. Climb several flights of stairs each day, at home or at work - you get points. Get down on the floor and play with your dog - more points. Dusting, cleaning, mowing the lawn, taking out the trash — still more points. Add these points to the points you get for walking to and from your car, and it’s surprisingly easy to get the exercise you need to protect your health. You really can do it without breaking a sweat.

Early Weight Loss helps Diabetics

Diabetes patients who lost weight within an average of 18 months after diagnosis were almost twice as likely to achieve their target blood sugar and blood pressure readings. Surprisingly, these blood pressure and glucose targets were measured during the final year of the study and, by that time, most of them had gained the weight back.

“Our study shows that early weight loss can reduce the risk factors that so often lead to diabetes complications and death,” says the study’s lead author Dr. Adrianne Feldstein in a press release. “We’ve known for a long time that weight loss is an important component in diabetes treatment and prevention. Now it appears there may be a critical window of opportunity following diagnosis in which some lasting gains can be achieved if people are willing to take immediate steps toward lifestyle changes. ”Though the researchers aren't sure exactly why the benefits of weight loss remained for the patients who regained the weight, they believe it may be related to increased insulin sensitivity.

Christine Miller, a diabetes care educator, explains that losing weight after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may make the body more receptive to insulin. When a person loses weight, she says their cells often become more responsive to smaller amounts of insulin. "While it is somewhat surprising that there were still benefits when patients regained the weight, it could be that the initial weight loss helped preserve the functioning of the pancreas," Miller says.

Another possible explanation for the benefits the patients who dropped pounds after being diagnosed with diabetes received could be related to the lifestyle changes accompanying weight loss. Miller says that switching to a healthier meal plan can often improve blood sugar and blood pressure even if no weight loss occurs. "Eating proper portion sizes and including more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet has often been shown to improve blood pressure and blood sugar control," Miller says.

Regardless of the factors behind the improved blood pressure and blood sugar numbers, Miller finds the results of the study very encouraging. When a patient is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, there is now positive research to help motivate them to adopt a healthier lifestyle."The study seems to support that the sooner a person takes on a healthy lifestyle and achieves moderate weight loss, the more beneficial it is going to be for their condition in the long run," she says. "It also tells us that all is not lost if a patient regains some weight. "Managing blood sugar and blood pressure effectively may prevent or delay the development of other health complications related to diabetes, such as heart and cardiovascular disease, blindness, nerve damage and kidney damage.

Reducing these diabetes risks can help people enjoy longer and more active lives. According to the American Diabetes Association, following a healthy meal plan should help you to drop those extra pounds or maintain a healthy weight. Whatever meal plan you decide to follow, they suggest you include a wide variety of foods, such as vegetables, whole grains, fruits, non-fat dairy products, beans, lean meats, poultry and fish.

Bricks of the Healthy Eating Pyramid

Whole Grains
The body needs carbohydrates mainly for energy. The best sources of carbohydrates are whole grains such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and brown rice. They deliver the outer (bran) and inner (germ) layers along with energy-rich starch. The body can't digest whole grains as quickly as it can highly processed carbohydrates such as white flour. This keeps blood sugar and insulin levels from rising, then falling, too quickly. Better control of blood sugar and insulin can keep hunger at bay and may prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. Plus, a growing body of research suggests that eating a diet rich in whole grains may also protect against heart disease.
Healthy Fats and Oils
Surprised that the Healthy Eating Pyramid puts some fats near the base, indicating they are okay to eat? Although this recommendation seems to go against conventional wisdom, it's exactly in line with the evidence and with common eating habits. The average American gets one-third or more of his or her daily calories from fats, so placing them near the foundation of the pyramid makes sense. Note, though, that it specifically mentions healthy fats and oils, not all types of fat. Good sources of healthy unsaturated fats include olive, canola, soy, corn, sunflower, peanut, and other vegetable oils, trans fat-free margarines, nuts, seeds, avocadoes, and fatty fish such as salmon. These healthy fats not only improve cholesterol levels (when eaten in place of highly processed carbohydrates) but can also protect the heart from sudden and potentially deadly rhythm problems.
Vegetables and Fruits
A diet rich in vegetables and fruits has bountiful benefits. Among them: It can decrease the chances of having a heart attack or stroke; possibly protect against some types of cancers; lower blood pressure; help you avoid the painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis; guard against cataract and macular degeneration, the major causes of vision loss among people over age 65; and add variety to your diet and wake up your palate.
Nuts, Seeds, Beans, and Tofu
These plant foods are excellent sources of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Beans include black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, lentils, and other beans that are usually sold dried. Many kinds of nuts contain healthy fats, and packages of some varieties (almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios) can now even carry a label saying they're good for your heart.
Fish, Poultry, and Eggs
These foods are also important sources of protein. A wealth of research suggests that eating fish can reduce the risk of heart disease, since fish is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Chicken and turkey are also good sources of protein and can be low in saturated fat. Eggs, which have long been demonized because they contain fairly high levels of cholesterol, aren't as bad as they've been cracked up to be. In fact, an egg is a much better breakfast than a doughnut cooked in an oil rich in trans fats or a bagel made from refined flour. People with diabetes or heart disease, however, should limit their egg yolk consumption to no more than 3 a week. But egg whites are very high in protein and are a fine substitute for whole eggs in omelets and baking.
Dairy (1 to 2 Servings Per Day) or Vitamin D/Calcium Supplements
Building bone and keeping it strong takes calcium, vitamin D, exercise, and a whole lot more. Dairy products have traditionally been Americans' main source of calcium and, through fortification, vitamin D. But most people need at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day, far more than the 100 IU supplied by a glass of fortified milk. (See the multivitamins section, below, for more information on vitamin D needs.) And there are other healthier ways to get calcium than from milk and cheese, which can contain a lot of saturated fat. Three glasses of whole milk, for example, contains as much saturated fat as 13 strips of cooked bacon. If you enjoy dairy foods, try to stick mainly with no-fat or low-fat products. If you don't like dairy products, taking a vitamin D and calcium supplement offers an easy and inexpensive way to meet your daily vitamin D and calcium needs.
Use Sparingly: Red Meat and Butter
These sit at the top of the Healthy Eating Pyramid because they contain lots of saturated fat. Eating a lot of red meat may also increase your risk of colon cancer. If you eat red meat every day, switching to fish , chicken, or beans several times a week can improve cholesterol levels. So can switching from butter to olive oil. And eating fish has other benefits for the heart.
Use Sparingly: Refined Grains—White Bread, Rice, and Pasta; Potatoes; Sugary Drinks and Sweets; Salt
Why are these all-American staples at the top, rather than the bottom, of the Healthy Eating Pyramid? White bread, white rice, white pasta, other refined grains, potatoes, sugary drinks, and sweets can cause fast and furious increases in blood sugar that can lead to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic disorders. Whole grain carbohydrates cause slower, steadier increases in blood sugar that don't overwhelm the body's ability to handle carbohydrate. The salt shaker is a new addition to the "Use Sparingly" tip of the Healthy Eating Pyramid, one that's based on extensive research linking high-sodium diets to increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Multivitamin with Extra Vitamin D (For Most People)
A daily multivitamin, multimineral supplement offers a kind of nutritional backup, especially when it includes some extra vitamin D. While a multivitamin can't in any way replace healthy eating, or make up for unhealthy eating, it can fill in the nutrient holes that may sometimes affect even the most careful eaters. You don't need an expensive name-brand or designer vitamin. A standard, store-brand, RDA-level one is fine for most nutrients—except vitamin D. In addition to its bone-health benefits, there's growing evidence that getting some extra vitamin D can help lower the risk of colon and breast cancer. Aim for getting at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day; multiple vitamins are now available with this amount. (Many people, especially those who spend the winter in the northern U.S. or have darker skin, will need extra vitamin D, often a total of 3,000 to 4,000 IU per day, to bring their blood levels up to an adequate range. If you are unsure, ask your physician to check your blood level.) Look for a multivitamin that meets the requirements of the USP (U.S. Pharmacopeia), an organization that sets standards for drugs and supplements.
Optional: Alcohol in Moderation (Not for Everyone)
Scores of studies suggest that having an alcoholic drink a day lowers the risk of heart disease. Moderation is clearly important, since alcohol has risks as well as benefits. For men, a good balance point is one to two drinks a day; in general, however, the risks of drinking, even in moderation, exceed benefits until middle age. For women, it's at most one drink a day; women should avoid alcohol during pregnancy.
Forget about Numbers and Focus on Quality
You'll notice that the Healthy Eating Pyramid does not give specific advice about the numbers of cups or ounces to have each day of specific foods. That's because it's not meant to be a rigid road map, and the amounts can vary depending on your body size and physical activity. It's a simple, general, flexible guide to how you should eat when you eat.
There's just one basic guideline to remember: A healthy diet includes more foods from the base of the pyramid than from the higher levels of the pyramid. Within this guideline, however, there's plenty of flexibility for different styles of eating and different food choices. A vegetarian can follow the Healthy Eating Pyramid by emphasizing nuts, beans, and other plant sources of protein, and choosing non-dairy sources of calcium and vitamin D; someone who eats animal products can choose fish or chicken for protein, with occasional red meat.
Choosing a variety of fresh, whole foods from all the food groups below the "Use Sparingly" category in the Healthy Eating Pyramid will ensure that you get the nutrients you need. It will also dramatically lower your salt intake, since most of the salt in the U.S. diet lurks in processed food—canned soups, frozen dinners, deli meats, snack chips, and the like.
Perhaps the only foods that are truly off-limits are foods that contain trans fat from partially hydrogenated oils. Luckily, in the U.S. and Canada, trans fats must be listed on nutrition labels. More and more food manufacturers, restaurants, and even entire communities are going trans fat-free, making it easier to avoid this health-damaging type of fat.

Healthy Food Pyramid

The Healthy Eating Pyramid sits on a foundation of daily exercise and weight control. Why? These two related elements strongly influence your chances of staying healthy. They also affect what you eat and how your food affects you.

Exercise and weight control are also linked through the simple rule of energy balance: Weight change = calories in – calories out. If you burn as many calories as you take in each day, there's nothing left over for storage in fat cells, and weight remains the same. Eat more than you burn, though, and you end up adding fat and pounds. Regular exercise can help you control your weight, and it is key part of any weight-loss effort.

Colour Food Pyramid

Here is the new food pyramid that is a big change from the older one. The shape immediately suggests that some foods are good and should be eaten often, and that others aren't so good and should be eaten only occasionally. The layers represent major food groups that contribute to the total diet.
Six swaths of color sweep from the apex of MyPyramid to the base: orange for grains, green for vegetables, red for fruits, a teeny band of yellow for oils, blue for milk, and purple for meat and beans. Each stripe starts out as the same size, but they don't end that way at the base. The widths suggest how much food a person should choose from each group. A band of stairs running up the side of the Pyramid, with a little stick figure chugging up it, serves as a reminder of the importance of physical activity.

Why exercise daily?

Many of the health benefits of exercise – such as lowering cholesterol levels and boosting the metabolism – are short-lived and wane within 24-48 hours, so try to do something most days. The ideal workout should last at least 45 minutes, but shorter, more intense, 15-20 minute sessions can work just as well if you are prepared to go for it. The harder the better. A gentle cycle or walk to work is better than nothing but, on its own, won’t do much for your long-term health, even if you cover large distances. So pep it up by walking or cycling faster and adding in bursts of higher intensity, such as accelerating off at the lights and walking up the office stairs rather than using the lift.

Your best bet for getting the maximum return for the minimum effort if you are doing formal exercise – such as jogging or gym work – is to buy a heart-rate monitor. Keeping your pulse rate in the upper part of your ideal training range (based on age – see the instructions that come with the monitor) will mean every second of your workout counts and will prevent you overdoing it.

If you are pushed for time, try adding bursts of high-intensity exercise. Rather than jogging for 30 minutes at 10kph on a treadmill, try cutting the session down to 15 minutes and adding in five 60-second stints at 15kph, with a couple of minutes of jogging in between. This type of interval training is much harder work, but quicker and probably better for you.

The key basic ingredients are exercises to improve your aerobic fitness (jogging, cycling, stepping), exercises to improve your core stability (stomach, back and pelvic floor) and exercises to improve or maintain your strength (squats, lunges and weights).

You don’t have to work on all three areas each time or even set foot in a gym.

Try a 20-minute jog or cycle with intervals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday when you get home and before you reach for the wine bottle. On Tuesday and Thursday, lift some dumbbells at home and do your core stability exercises, while on Saturday you can play tennis/squash or go for a brisk walk. On Sunday you should rest – you have earned it.

5 Easy ways to Really Lose Weight

1. Eat lot of fruits and veggies: Why? they fill your stomach, they are easily digestable and you will feel light and fresh

2. Starving doesn't work: If you starve yourself, you will tend to lose your energy and may overeat next time. So, this is a negative strategy.

3. Say NO to aerated drinks: Yeah, say no to Coke or Pepsi - even if it is Diet version. Drink fresh juice instead. No bottled juice, please.

4.Understand your body: Maintain a diary of what you eat and what does good for you. Trust me, it really works.

5. Stick to a Plan: There are genuine plans and methods out there that will work. But, you need to stick the teachings and act on them. ACT, TAKE ACTION. That's a world of difference.

Why portion matters

Today restaurants' portion sizes are nearly twice the size they were 15 years ago. Traditional-sized plates keep expanding, and fast-food outlets have turned value meals into super-sized fat traps.

The sad reality is that these portion sizes mirror our society and have had a tremendous impact on our nation's health. The number of people suffering from obesity is at an all time high, and portion distortion is one of the main reasons. Don't worry: there are ways to help you control portion sizes when dining out. Many of us simply need to learn to eat less food, and one way to do this is get used to smaller portions.
The first step in managing the amount of food you eat is to understand how much you are actually consuming. Learn to compare the portion size on your plate with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's standard serving size. One serving of meat, poultry or fish is about the size of a deck of playing cards. For most fruits, vegetables and grains, the right amount is a 1/2 cup, which is about the size of a small fist. One portion of milk, yogurt or chopped greens is about the size of a small hand holding a tennis ball. Once you get a good grasp on the standard for serving sizes, it will become easier to recognize how much you can do without.

Getting a grasp on portion sizes is the first step toward a healthier lifestyle. However, excessive portions are not the only problem. It's also the type of food you choose that matters. The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recommends that you decrease the amount of high-calorie food on your plate and increase healthier food choices like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. This will help satisfy your hunger with the lowest-calorie foods.

You don't have to give up the foods you love, but make some adjustments to your orders. For example, choose half sizes or the smallest size, split your meal or place one-half of your meal into a doggie bag before you start eating. You should also become a healthy role model by choosing the more nutritious items on the menu and encouraging your family to do the same.
Actually, the best place to start adjusting portion sizes is at home with your family. In fact, serving proper meals is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your loved ones. Introducing changes can be challenging, however. The key is to make gradual modifications such as switching to low-fat milk and replacing big plates with smaller ones. Also, get your family involved: let everyone choose a meal they would want to eat during the week and then plan ahead to modify it to a healthier version.

Proper portion control is the key to super-sizing your health and down-sizing your waistline. You and your family don't have to give up the foods you love. All you have to do is learn when enough is enough. Be sensible, have fun and enjoy meal time with the ones you love. After all, the best "value meal" you can buy is the one that guides you and your family toward a healthier and longer life.

Healthy way to loose weight

The healthiest way to lose weight is neither crash diets nor bursts of exercise. The body likes slow changes in terms of food and exercise. For example, someone who has not exercised for years should not rush into running miles a day or pounding the treadmill. Not only will the struggle to do so leave you feeling disheartened and demotivated, you're also far more likely to injure yourself and set your fitness levels back further.

The same goes for people who suddenly start starving themselves. Diets that severely restrict calories or the types of food 'allowed' can lead you to be deficient in the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs. So if you need to lose weight, what should you do?

Energy needs and weight loss
Your body uses food for energy. It stores any excess energy as fat. This means if you eat more food than your body needs for daily activities and cell maintenance, you will gain weight.To lose weight, you need to get your body to use up these stores of fat. The most effective way to do this is to:

• Reduce the amount of calories you eat
• Increase your levels of activity.This is why experts talk about weight loss in terms of diet and exercise.
• Introduce changes gradually. Small changes can make a big difference. One extra biscuit a week can lead you to gain 5lb a year – cut that biscuit out of your diet and you'll lose the same amount. You are also more likely to stick to, say, swapping full-fat milk for semi-skimmed or making time for breakfast each morning than a diet that sets rules for all foods.You should think of weight loss in terms of permanently changing your eating habits. While weight-loss goals are usually set in term of weeks, the end game is to sustain these changes over months and years.
• Increase your activity levels. Someone who increases the amount they exercise, but maintains the same diet and calorie intake, will almost certainly lose weight. No matter if you hate gyms - even light exercise such as a short 20 minute walk will be beneficial if done most days of the week. Every single time you exercise more than usual, you burn calories and fat.There are lots of ways to increase the amount of activity you do. Team sports, racket sports, aerobics classes, running, walking, swimming and cycling will all improve your fitness levels. Find something you enjoy that's easy for you to do in terms of location and cost. You are then more likely to build it into your routine and continue to exercise, despite inevitably missing the odd session through holidays, family commitments, etc.
  Get out and about at the weekend. Leave your car on the drive and walk to the shops. Try to incorporate longer walks into outings to the park, coast or countryside and take a picnic so you are in control of what you are going to eat that day.
  Every extra step you take helps. Always use the stairs instead of the lift, or get off the bus a stop before the usual one and walk the rest of the way.
  Use commercial breaks between TV-programmes to stand up and do exercise, or consider using an exercise bicycle in the living room while watching your favourite programme.

Reduce your calorie intake

If you are overweight, you can't continue with your current eating habits. It's not possible to reduce body fat while eating lots of food, cakes and sweets. This doesn't mean you can never have any treats, but you need to learn how to limit these foods to small quantities - say, for special occasions. In terms of weight-loss, you can get your body to use up existing stores of fat by eating less and making healthier choices.This doesn't mean crash diet (anything less than 1500 calories), which usually ends up with you either getting weaker or giving up in desperation. Quick-fix diets can lead to a yo-yoing effect of drastic weight loss followed by weight gain, resulting in a vicious cycle.There are no shortcuts to losing weight in a healthy and reasonable way. Eating 300 to 500 calories less per day should lead to a loss of between one and two pounds per week. This is a realistic target. It may seem slow, but would add up to a weight loss of more than three stone in a year. Fat contains the most amount of calories out of all the food types so a good way to achieve this is to cut down on fatty foods and eat more wholegrain bread, fruit and vegetables. Below are ways to reduce calorie intake without having to alter your diet significantly.

• Replace fizzy drinks and fruit cordials with water.
• Swap whole milk for semi-skimmed, or semi-skimmed for skimmed.
• Eat less lunch than usual. For example, make your own sandwich and limit the use of margarine/butter and full-fat mayonnaise (store-bought sandwiches often contain both).
• Stop taking sugar in tea and coffee.
• Have smaller portions of the food you enjoy.
• Avoid having a second helping at dinner.
• Cut out unhealthy treats such as confectionary, sugary biscuits and crisps between meals.
• Cut down on beer and alcohol.

All these things will influence your health in a positive way. Finally, don't be tempted to skip breakfast – or any meal to lose weight. While skipping a meal will reduce your calorie intake for that hour, it will leave you much hungrier later on. Not only are you likely to overeat to compensate, but you'll often make bad choices to fill the gap: a cereal bar is not as healthy as a bowl of cereal or as filling, leading you to 'need' something extra for lunch. Irregular eating habits also disrupt your body's metabolism, which makes it harder to lose weight in the first place.

Write down your plan

Once you've decided on what changes you're going to make, write them down. For example:
Week 1
Exercise: one 20 minute walk every lunch hour.
Alcohol: none in the week, two small glasses of wine on Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Food: no chocolate or biscuits in the week, choose healthy snacks such as fruit, trim all fat from meat, eat no fried or fast food.Once you start your plan, weigh yourself once a week before breakfast. Keep a record of this weight and see if a pattern develops. You could use a table like the one below to keep track of your goals, marking your progress for each day with a tick or a cross.
Week:
Current weight:
Alcohol
Exercise
Food plan
Goals for week

Progress
Alcohol
Exercise
Food plan
Mood
Comments
Monday
.
.
.
.
.
Tuesday
.
.
.
.
.
Wednesday
.
.
.
.
.
Thursday
.
.
.
.
.
Friday
.
.
.
.
.
Saturday
.
.
.
.
.
Sunday
.
.
.
.
Be patient and persevereIt might take a week or two before you notice any changes, but they will steadily appear. After the first month you will be able to see the results and measure them in terms of looser fitting clothes. Keeping your motivation up is one of the most difficult aspects of dieting. There will be days when healthy eating goes out the window and there will be weeks where you may not lose any weight – or put a little back on.This is normal for everyone – dieters or not – so don't let it undo your plans for a slimmer you. You're not doing anything 'wrong', but you may need to look at your plan. Do you need to increase your activity levels? Make a few more changes to your diet? Put more effort into sticking to your current plan? The other side of this is to make sure you celebrate your goals.

While there is joy enough in stepping on the scales and seeing them dip lower, be sure to mark long-term progress with a reward such as new clothes or a night off from housework. Celebrating is also a way to involve your nearest and dearest – it's up to you whether you want their encouragement in the form of gentle reminders not to eat certain foods, but support from other people can get you through the bumpy patches.

Health benefits of weight loss
Studies show that overweight women who lose between 10lb and 20lb halve their risk of developing diabetes. For men, the risk of heart problems reduces considerably. Generally, we gain weight as we age. A few pounds over the years are not a problem, but people who gain more than 20lb compared to their weight as an 18-year-old will rapidly increase their risk of health problems due to that extra weight. In particular, women increase their risk of heart attack and double their risk of dying from cancer. It may seem like these are problems to worry about in the future, but time flies by and tomorrow becomes today. By keeping your weight in the healthy range, you are less likely to be troubled by illnesses in your later years.

The Anti-Inflammatory Diet

It is becoming increasingly clear that a host of illnesses - including heart disease, many cancers and Alzheimer's disease - are influenced in large part by chronic inflammation. This is a process in which the immune system becomes off balance, and persists unnecessarily in its efforts to repair the body and repel pathogens. The prolonged process results in damage to healthy tissue as well. Stress, lack of exercise, genetic predisposition and other lifestyle factors can all promote inflammation, but poor diet is perhaps the main contributor, and the ideal place to begin addressing inflammation.

The Anti-Inflammatory Diet or the Wellness Diet is not a diet in the popular sense - it is absolutely not intended as a weight-loss program (although people can and do lose weight on it), nor is it an eating plan to stay on for a limited period of time. Rather, it is way of selecting and preparing foods based on scientific knowledge of how they can help your body remain optimally healthy. Along with influencing inflammation, this diet will provide steady energy and ample vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and dietary fiber.

Aim for variety

• Include as much fresh food as possible.
• Minimize your consumption of processed foods and fast food.
• Eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables.Caloric Intake
  Most adults need to consume between 2,000 and 3,000 calories a day. Women and smaller and less active people need fewer calories. Men and bigger and more active people need more calories. If you are eating the appropriate number of calories for your level of activity, your weight should not fluctuate greatly.
  The distribution of calories you take in should be as follows: 40 to 50 percent from carbohydrates, 30 percent from fat, and 20 to 30 percent from protein. Try to include carbohydrates, fat, and protein at each meal. Carbohydrates On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, adult women should consume between 160 to 200 grams of carbohydrates a day. Adult men should consume between 240 to 300 grams of carbohydrates a day. The majority of this should be in the form of less-refined, less-processed foods with a low glycemic load.
  Reduce your consumption of foods made with wheat flour and sugar, especially bread and most packaged snack foods (including chips and pretzels).
  Eat more whole grains such as brown rice and bulgur wheat, in which the grain is intact or in a few large pieces. These are preferable to whole wheat flour products, which have roughly the same glycemic index as white flour products. Eat more beans, winter squashes, and sweet potatoes. Cook pasta al dente and eat it in moderation. Avoid products made with high fructose corn syrup.

Fat
On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, 600 calories can come from fat - that is, about 67 grams. This should be in a ratio of 1:2:1 of saturated to monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fat. Reduce your intake of saturated fat by eating less butter, cream, cheese and other full-fat dairy products; unskinned chicken and fatty meats; and products made with coconut and palm kernel oils.
Use extra-virgin olive oil as a main cooking oil. If you want a neutral tasting oil, use expeller-pressed, organic canola oil. High-oleic versions of sunflower and safflower oil are acceptable also, preferably non-GMO (genetically modified).
Avoid regular safflower and sunflower oils, corn oil, cottonseed oil, and mixed vegetable oils.
Strictly avoid margarine, vegetable shortening, and all products listing them as ingredients. Strictly avoid all products made with partially hydrogenated oils of any kind. Include in your diet avocados and nuts, especially walnuts, cashews, almonds, and nut butters made from these nuts.
For omega-3 fatty acids, eat salmon (preferably fresh or frozen wild or canned sockeye), sardines packed in water or olive oil, herring, and black cod (sablefish, butterfish); omega-3 fortified eggs; hemp seeds and flaxseeds (preferably freshly ground); or take a fish oil supplement.

Protein
On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet your daily intake of protein should be between 80 and 120 grams. Eat less protein if you have liver or kidney problems, allergies, or autoimmune disease. Decrease your consumption of animal protein except for fish and reduced-fat dairy products. Eat more vegetable protein, especially from beans in general and soybeans in particular. Become familiar with the range of soy foods available and find ones you like.

Fiber
Try to eat 40 grams of fiber a day. You can achieve this by increasing your consumption of fruit, especially berries, vegetables (especially beans), and whole grains. Ready-made cereals can be good fiber sources, but read labels to make sure they give you at least 4 and preferably 5 grams of bran per one-ounce serving.Phytonutrients
To get maximum natural protection against age-related diseases (including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease) as well as against environmental toxicity, eat a variety of fruits, vegetables and mushrooms. Choose fruits and vegetables from all parts of the color spectrum, especially berries, tomatoes, orange and yellow fruits, and dark leafy greens.
Choose organic produce whenever possible. Learn which conventionally grown crops are most likely to carry pesticide residues and avoid them. Eat cruciferous (cabbage-family) vegetables regularly.
Include soy foods in your diet. Drink tea instead of coffee, especially good quality white, green or oolong tea. If you drink alcohol, use red wine preferentially.
Enjoy plain dark chocolate in moderation (with a minimum cocoa content of 70 percent).Vitamins and MineralsThe best way to obtain all of your daily vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients is by eating a diet high in fresh foods with an abundance of fruits and vegetables. In addition, supplement your diet with the following antioxidant cocktail:
Vitamin C, 200 milligrams a day.
Vitamin E, 400 IU of natural mixed tocopherols (d-alpha-tocopherol with other tocopherols, or, better, a minimum of 80 milligrams of natural mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols).
Selenium, 200 micrograms of an organic (yeast-bound) form.
Mixed carotenoids, 10,000-15,000 IU daily.
In addition, take daily multivitamin/multimineral supplements that provide at least 400 micrograms of folic acid and at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D. They should contain no iron and no preformed vitamin A (retinol).
Take supplemental calcium, preferably as calcium citrate. Women should supplement with 500-700 mg daily, for a total daily intake of 1,000-1,200 mg from all sources. Men should get no more than 500-600 mg daily from all sources, and probably do not need to supplement.Other Dietary Supplements
If you are not eating oily fish at least twice a week, take supplemental fish oil, in capsule or liquid form, 1-2 grams a day. Look for molecularly distilled products certified to be free of heavy metals and other contaminants.
Talk to your doctor about going on low-dose aspirin therapy, one or two baby aspirins a day (81 or 162 milligrams).
If you are not regularly eating ginger and turmeric, consider taking these in supplemental form.
Add CoQ10 to your daily regimen: 60-100 milligrams of a softgel form taken with your largest meal.
If you are prone to metabolic syndrome, take alpha-lipoic acid, 100 to 400 milligrams a day. Water
Try to drink 6-8 glasses of pure water a day, or drinks that are mostly water (tea, very diluted fruit juice, sparkling water with lemon).
Use bottled water or get a home water purifier if your tap water tastes of chlorine or other contaminants, or if you live in an area where the water is known or suspected to be contaminated.

Restoring Your Fat-Burning Chemistry

The program outlined below is not a diet. This guide will help you learn to recalibrate your body’s natural chemistry and hormonal balance to make it an optimal fat-burning machine through:

• Frequent meals
• Appropriate portion sizes
• Balanced meals with the right combination of complex, low glycemic carbohydrates, lean protein and essential fats

set a goal to eat five small meals per day — do NOT skip meals. Sometimes you will feel like you don’t have the time or the energy to put anything together, but this is critical to your success. Your body and your metabolism are designed to look for cues telling them when to burn and when to conserve. If you miss a meal your body does what it is programmed to do — stop burning. Ideally, the five meals include breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack and dinner. On occasion, you may also enjoy a healthy and delicious fat-burning dessert after dinner. This five meal ideal will keep your metabolism burning brightly, and your brain will enjoy a steady source of fuel, keeping you mentally sharp and safe from those challenging blood sugar drops that spur cravings for sub-par food choices.

Right-Size Portions
So how much should you eat at each meal? Begin by keeping in mind that there is no one definition of a serving size. The serving size is simply a unit of measure and may not represent the amount you are really eating. Measure your food for a day to gain perspective on your portion sizes. For packaged foods such as cereal, use the label to identify a serving size. For other foods, such as vegetables and meats, use the Rule of “Thumb below:
One serving of = Is about the size of:

low-fat cheese = your thumb
milk or yogurt = tuna can
bread, cereal, rice or pasta = tuna can
whole or chopped vegetables = tuna can
leafy vegetables = your fist

Count Calories
Research suggests that low calories can not only increase life span, but also substantially lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of cancer and other diseases. But what does “calorie restriction” mean? You should realize that some food choices come with higher calorie price tags. If you aim for recommended balance of 25 to 40 percent lean protein, 40 to 50 percent complex, low-glycemic carbohydrate, and 20 to 30 percent essential fat, make nutritional food choices using common sense, and watch portion sizes, then the appropriate amount of calories will follow.

The Glycemic Index
Another way to keep off the blood sugar roller coaster is to choose carbohydrates that are not only complex, but also low on the glycemic index. The glycemic index (GI) is a numerical ranking of foods based on the immediate effect that they have on blood sugar levels. The higher the glycemic index, the quicker the lift and the faster the fall. Conversely, the lower the glycemic index, the longer the energy boost and the more satisfied you’ll feel. In short, complex, low-GI carbs will help you experience fewer cravings, feel fuller longer, lose weight easier, improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin, and lower your cholesterol.
Choosing the Right Carbohydrates
The goal of this program is not to feed your possible fear of carbohydrates, but instead to support you in eating the right kinds that will, in turn, support your metabolism, your mood and your overall health and well being. When you choose nourishing carbohydrates from complex, low glycemic varieties — such as legumes, fruits, vegetables and whole grains — you will be getting the very best chemistry support to meet your goals. And whenever possible, you should replace highly processed foods with minimally processed foods.

Fats To Avoid
Saturated fats are linked to many diseases, including obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The saturated fats that are found in animal-based foods are especially problematic when consumed in excess and have been the subject of much debate with diets that encourage a high-protein eating regimen.

Two eggs can make you lose weight

Whoever advised us to jump start the day with eggs, rightly said so, for eating at least two eggs for breakfast helps overweight adults lose more weight and feel more energetic, revealed a new study by an Indian-origin researcher. Nikhil V. Dhurandhar, Ph.D., lead researcher and associate professor in the laboratory of infection and obesity at Pennington Biomedical Research Center said that a breakfast of two eggs in the morning, as part of a reduced-calorie diet, helps in losing 65 percent weight in overweight people, than those who eat bagel breakfast of equal calories.

This study supports previous research that showed that people who ate eggs for breakfast felt more satisfied and ate fewer calories at the following meal.

"People have a hard time adhering to diets and our research shows that choosing eggs for breakfast can dramatically improve the success of a weight loss plan. Apparently, the increased satiety and energy due to eggs helps people better comply with a reduced-calorie diet,” said Dhurandhar.

When the subjects who ate a bagel breakfast were compared with those who consumed two eggs for breakfast as part of a reduced-calorie diet, it was also found that men and women on egg-breakfast exhibited a 61 percent greater reduction in BMI. They also reported higher energy levels than their dieting counterparts who consumed a bagel breakfast.

However, it was found that blood lipids were not impacted during the two month study. Also, blood levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol, as well as triglycerides, did not vary compared to baseline cholesterol blood levels in subjects who ate either the bagel or egg breakfasts.

This supports more than 30 years of research that conclude that healthy adults can enjoy eggs without significantly impacting their risk of heart disease.

This study adds to the growing body of research which supports the importance of high-quality protein in the diet. It was found recently that not getting enough high-quality protein may contribute to obesity, muscle wasting (loss) and increased risk of chronic disease.

Jackie Newgent, registered dietitian and chef, stresses the importance of obtaining adequate high-quality protein when advising consumers about weight loss. "Eggs are a good source of all-natural, high-quality protein, so they can help keep you satisfied longer, making it easier to resist tempting snacks. Nearly half of an egg''s protein, and many of the other nutrients, are found in the yolk, so make sure to eat the whole egg for maximum benefits," said Newgent.

The study was published online in the International Journal of Obesity.

8 Easy Ways to Lose Weight

1. Read Labels: Pay attendtion ot food labels. You should know how to find a food's caloric content and serving size. Comparing labels among different foods and beverages is crucial for making the healthier choices required to lose weight.
2. Snack smartly: You can help prevent overeating and maintain blood sugar levels by eating something about every three hours. Getting too hungry will backfire on your efforts to eat healthy and practice portion control. Aim for a healthful, satisfying snack, such as an apple and some reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Eating more may seem counterintuitive, but smart snacking will help you lose weight.
3. Eat More Grains and Produce: Whole grains and fruits and veggies do more than provide nutrients that improve your health and reduce disease-risk; they can also help you lose weight. They're naturally low in calories, so you can eat more of them and have less room in your diet for less-than-healthful foods. Plus, the fiber in whole-grain foods and produce will help you feel fuller longer (which helps you control portions and avoid overeating) and as a result, lose weight.
4. Eat Enough, Often Enough: One of the worst ways to lose weight? Meal skipping. Many people think skipping meals is a great way to cut calories, but in the end, they fail to lose weight. You'll be more likely to overeat or even binge (when you finally do eat) if you do not eat regular meals. Plus your body may go into "starvation mode" if don't eat enough, causing you to maintain (or even gain) rather than lose weight!
5. Drink Plenty of Water: Water helps you lose weight in several ways: If you tend to have a problem with "water weight," drinking more water can help alleviate bloating. Its the salt in your diet that aids water retention, not water. Replacing high-cal drinks such as soda with water cuts hundreds of calories. You shouldn't wait until you're feeling thirsty to drink water; thirst can be mistaken for hunger, causing you to overeat. Proper hydration improves your sense of well-being, which will keep up your motivation to lose weight.
6. Get Moving: It is virtually impossible to lose weight and keep it off without exercising regularly. Start out today by taking a brisk walk or riding a bike. Work your way up from 10 minutes to 30-40 minutes a day, most days a week, and you could reap health benefits and weight loss results in a matter of weeks. Plus, exercise boosts your metabolism, making it even easier to lose weight.
7. Practice Portion Control: Measuring food may seem like a drudgery, but it will prove invaluable in your efforts to lose weight. Start out by comparing a measured standard serving of foods to your typical helping. You may find you usually consume two or even three times the recommended serving. In time you will reprogram your brain to eyeball portion sizes, a key skill for losing weight.
8. Write it Down: What's the first thing I think anyone who wants to lose weight should do? Keep a food diary. All you have to do is jot down what, when, and how much you eat in a notebook, or you can do it online at a Web site like Calorie Count Plus. A food diary will give you a clear picture of your current eating habits so you can identify the changes you need to make to lose weight.

Power Foods

Did you know that ants can lift up to 50 times their own weight? This goes to show that power can come from small places.

The same theory applies to power foods. Power foods are a combination of low calories and high nutrients, or foods that keep you feeling satisfied. Quite simply, you can make your calories work for you. The more efficiently you eat, the more you can eat before reaching your calorie limit.

The great part about power foods is that you are likely eating some of them already! And if not, parts of your diet can be easily replaced by other power foods. Adding just a few more power foods can make a big difference in your calorie intake and appetite.

At the top of the Power Food list are foods that contain proteins, fiber and healthy (whole grain) carbohydrates. These foods have tons of nutrients that give you long-lasting energy without a lot of calories, all while making you feel fuller faster. However, there are power foods in every food group and plenty of options to choose from.

Good Power Foods
Grains

• whole wheat
• oatmeal
• whole wheat bread
• whole wheat pita
• whole wheat
• whole wheat pasta
• brown rice
• whole rye
  
  Fruits/Veggies
• oranges
• berries
• cantaloupe
• watermelon
• apples
• avocado
• chili peppers
• spinach
• sweet potatoes
• tomatoes
  
  Dairy/Protein
• low fat or skim milk
• low fat yogurt
• salmon
• tuna
• chicken
• almonds
• peanuts
• walnuts and hazelnuts
• beans
• eggs

Double your weight loss

Wouldn't it be nice if there was something you could do to double your weight loss efforts?
According to one of the largest and longest running weight-loss trials ever conducted, there is.
What's this new weight-loss miracle? Is it a drug? A crazy diet where you eat nothing but broccoli?

No. It's simply your keyboard. Keep a food diary. Keeping a record of everything you eat can double a person's weight loss efforts, according to a study conducted by Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research.
The study, which will be published in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, found that keeping a daily record can keep your diet on track. "The more food records people kept, the more weight they lost," said Kaiser Permanente lead author Jack Hollis Ph.D. in a press release. "Those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records. It seems that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories."
The average weight loss over 6 months was roughly 13 pounds, with more than two-thirds of the nearly 1,700 participants losing at least 9 pounds. Those who participated were asked to follow the heart-healthy DASH diet, which is rich in fruits and vegetables, attend weekly support group sessions and exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, as well as tracking what they ate. Participants who used their daily food journals doubled their results.

With more than two-thirds of Americans overweight -- and the African American community being particularly susceptible to problems linked to obesity, like heart disease and diabetes -- this study was one of the few trials to have a large percentage of African Americans -- nearly half of the participants.
"If we all just lost 9 pounds, like the majority of people in this study did, our nation would see vast decreases in hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke," noted study co-author Victor Stevens, Ph.D., who found in a previous study that losing as little as 5 pounds can reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure by 20 percent.
If it's as simple as tracking what you eat to lose weight, then fire up the computer. If you eat it, type it in. Food diaries increase accountability and demonstrate where excess calories are coming from according to study participants.
Keeping a food diary doesn't have to be a formal thing, noted Dr. Keith Bachman in the press release. Bachman, who heads Kaiser Permanente’s Weight Management Initiative, explained that journaling helps people reflect on what they eat, helping them become aware of their habits and, hopefully, changing their behavior.
"Every day I hear patients say they can't lose weight," he said. "This study shows that most people can lose weight if they have the right tools and support. And food journaling in conjunction with a weight management program or class is the ideal combination of tools and support."

Say Farewell to Fad Diets

The Appeal of Fad are easy for just about anyone to fall for. When you first decide to lose weight, it can be tempting to do something drastic. You feel like you just can't spend one more day overweight. This mind-frame sets you up for falling for the empty promises of scams. Here are some pointers for identifying and avoiding fad diets.

• The most common sign that a diet is a fad diet is that it promises quick weight loss. Fad diets make unrealistic promises, such as, "Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!". Diets that lead to rapid weight loss (more than about two pounds a week) are not nutritionally sound and are almost always too restrictive to be adhered to for any considerable period of time.
• The weight you lose when you start a fad diet is comprised mainly of body fluids, or water weight. The catch is that this weight usually comes back -- with a few extra pounds added, too. Losing so much weight, so soon, gives dieters a sense of accomplishment, but when the weight inevitably returns, the cycle starts all over again.
• Fad diets are typically very low, which is unhealthy and can even be dangerous. Most people can lose a substantial amount of weight on a diet of around 1,500 a day, which allows for at least three 300-400 calorie meals and two 100-200 cal snacks. If a diet requires you to eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day, if you are a woman, or fewer than 1,400 calories a day if you are a man, it is not nutritionally sound.
• Fad diets usually require sudden, drastic changes, such as completely eliminating an entire food group or cutting your by too many calories. Making such rapid changes does not prepare you for returning to normal eating or teach you how to make important lifestyle changes such as portion or making better food choices, skills which are crucial for long-term weight management.
• Fad diets are often low on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, which means they are short on the foods that provide many important nutritional needs, resulting in malnutrition and poor health. Depending on the type of diet plan, it may be deficient in protein, carbohydrates, fiber, or important vitamins and minerals, or they may provide too much protein. Fad diets do not provide guidelines for a healthy, long-term eating plan.
• Fad diets often stress the importance of eating certain foods together or never eating different types of foods at the same time (e.g. never eating protein the same time as carbohydrates), which is sometimes referred to as food combining. Fad diets often require you to eat a very limited meal plan that must not be deviated from at any time. The monotonous meals make the diet even more difficult to stick to.
• Fad diets virtually ignore the importance of. Being active is key to maintaining weight loss. Exercise is also an important aspect of improved cardiovascular health and disease prevention; diet alone cannot provide as many weight and health benefits as both diet and exercise. Any reliable weight loss plan will encourage you to get moderate exercise several times a week.
• Lastly, if a diet warns you to stop following its recommendations after a set period of time, it should be avoided. The only reason a diet would recommend you discontinue it in a certain number of days is it could be harmful if you do. Any healthful, balanced diet should be adaptable as a part of a permanent lifestyle that leads long-term weight maintenance.

The only way to successfully lose weight and keep it off is to take in fewer calories than you burn. To do that, you need to watch how many calories you eat and move more.