Roughage – Not Always Rough

Believe it or not, fiber is just as important to good health as any other nutrient you can name. It keeps your digestive system healthy by preventing constipation. It can lower your cholesterol, help control your blood sugar and soothe the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome or spastic colon. Some research even suggests that fiber helps fight certain types of cancer. Not bad for something that brings no nutrients to the body!

All foods that are high in fiber contain two different types of fiber: soluble or non-soluble. If you naturally eat a lot of different high fiber foods you will be getting plenty of both. Fiber has the added benefit of making you feel full and satisfied after a meal, reducing the risk of overeating.

Insoluble fiber: This type of fiber does not dissolve in water or body fluids. What it does is help move food through your system. Insoluble fiber keeps you “regular” and can also help your body fight off digestive tract diseases such as diverticulosis and colon cancer. Examples of insoluble fibers are: Wheat Bran, Cracked Wheat,Whole Grains,Legumes, Vegetables, Fruit.

Soluble fiber:This type of fiber dissolves in liquids and body fluids. When this happens it forms a gel that helps to regulate the absorption of both carbohydrate and fats. Examples of soluble fibers are: Legumes, Oats, Barley and Fruit. The most famous of all fibers is probably oat bran because of it’s remarkable ability to lower cholesterol.

The recommended range for an individuals daily fiber requirements is between 20-35 grams per day, but really is determined by each individual. If you think that you need more fiber in your diet be sure to add just a little each day until you feel it’s effectiveness. If you add too much too – fast you may be unpleasantly surprised! Too much fiber in your diet can cause unpleasant and painful cramping, bloating and diarrhea. If you think you have too much fiber in your diet, be sure to reduce it by only a little bit each day and be sure to drink plenty of fluids each day. Fiber soaks up fluids like a sponge and if there isn’t enough extra water to move everything through, you’ll find yourself uncomfortably”bottled up”.

If you’re ready to do something that is beneficial and more effective than your current weight loss plan and general diet then the Strip That Fat is the plan for you. It’s not a fad, and it’s not a rapid weight loss gimmick.

Weight Lose Tips – Highly Effective Tips for Quick Weight Loss Regardless of Your Body Type and Age.

Many people are struggling to maintain a healthy body weight in spite of their daily consistent effort to lose weight. Weight loss workout and dieting alone will not give a quick weight loss result or any result at all if you are not doing it right.

To begin with, make your weight loss plan simple and practical. Here are some weight lose tips which are highly effective regardless of body type and age:

Take 5 – 6 Meals a Day

Small and frequent meals of 5 – 6 times a day are very important for weight loss. Meal frequency with 2.5 – 3 hours breaks in between help increase our metabolism and control excessive calorie intake which is responsible for storing of fats. It also suppresses hunger and avoids binges.

Maintain an Ideal Calorie Intake

At an average, men need about 2400 calories and women need about 1600 calories a day for effective weight loss. However, the actual calorie requirement will vary from one person to another depending on the person’s height, weight and physical activities. In the upper limit, the maximum calorie requirement for men is 5400 and 4000 for women.

Take Foods with High Thermic Effect

Some foods have high thermic effect; most of the calorie content is utilized while digesting the food and the actual calorie amount absorbed is very less. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and celery have high thermic effect.

Avoid Junk Foods

Junk foods and preservative foods are largely responsible for weight gain. Sugar, salt and oil are extensively used while preparing junk foods and preservative foods which are major causes or weight gain. Take pack lunch and meals from home at work.

Drink Lots of Water

Take 8 – 10 glasses of water a day. Drinking water boost our metabolism because water is needed to create energy to burn calories and about 60% of our body is made up of water. Drinking water also suppresses hunger and control calorie intake.

Running

Running is a well known exercise for weight loss and overall physical fitness. If running is your primary exercise, you should run at least 5 days a week for 45 minutes.

Be Active in Sports

Find a game or two of your interest and dedicate at least 2 days a week to play and improve your skills. It is easier to spend time and develop keen interest with sports rather than normal exercises. You’ll start shedding fats sooner than you expected.

These weight lose tips really works and it’s not very hard to follow. You can easily incorporate with your lifestyle, and start it today. Happy weight loss!

Weight Loss Aids by Controlling Stress

So you want to lose weight? The issue is not can you, for you can. The issue is how, and how effectively and easily.

I agree there are probably countless quick fix programmes around that may work for a few, but how many can you trust? Bear in mind that amongst these quick fixes there are genuine weight loss programmes that with the right attitude will keep you fit, trim and healthy.

My aim is a series of articles explaining reasons for weight gain and ways to lose it, and keep it lost, naturally.

You may try, lose some, then, it comes back with a rage. There are reasons why weight loss programmes fail. Knowing a bit about the nature of our body can help understand these reasons.

Stress it not just a mental reaction but a physical condition. When placed under stress your body will produce adrenaline but it also produces a hormone called Cortisol. This hormone is responsible for sending sugar into the blood to fuel the adrenalin rush. Stress is then a natural bodily function, evolved in our prehistory, designed to help keep us alive and reactive to things in our environment.

Unfortunately there is then a negative by-product if you are not using this energy. The extra blood sugar that is being released has nowhere to go except settle around your stomach as fat to be used later. Stress in the modern world often takes the form of money worries, job worries, family problems and much more. These situations are not the energy burning fight or flight.

Because of this many people are keeping or gaining weight without even realising it. Of course, there are other factors but stress is one that very few people talk about. Stress however needs to be controlled and fought against such as an unhealthy diet needs to be. It may be the one thing stopping you from losing the pounds you so desperately want to.

Stress and anxiety is in fact a double edged sword. Not only does it produce the excess blood sugars that turn to fat but it also encourages you to use food as a comfort tool. You may tuck into chocolate or fast food for that instant hit that is the culinary equivalent of a warm hug from a loved one.

Eating these foods that are bad for you when you are stressed does not mean you are weak minded. You are just following your biological programming. Tests on rats have shown that under stress animals naturally engage in pleasure seeking behaviour, especially high calorie food.

Other tests have shown that men who only manage to get four hours sleep a night have on average a thirty seven percent higher level of Cortisol (the hormone that is responsible for energy – sugar) than those who get a full eight hours? And what is one of the biggest reasons for lack of sleep? Stress!

On top of that it is imperative you get a good night’s sleep when trying to shed the pounds because a deep sleep leads to higher secretions of a natural occurring hormone called Human Growth Hormone. This protects your muscle mass and it is muscle that helps to maintain a steady burning metabolism. We’re not talking bodybuilder type muscle here either. Just the natural kind we all have.

Of course if you are already stressed the chances are you are not getting enough sleep already and so are caught in a vicious circle that is affecting your weight loss. Prescription sleeping tablets are one option, but should be used alongside a healthy lifestyle not in place of one. Fortunately, despite stress being the silent diet killer, there are some easy ways to fight it.

Firstly with a little bit of exercise you can help yourself get an easier night’s sleep which kills two birds with one stone. Some light exercise, like a brisk walk, every day will be enough for your body to fall to sleep naturally at the end of the day.

A good breakfast is also associated with reduced stress levels. Skipping breakfast is just asking for trouble and will actually have a negative effect on your weight loss. You need to eat breakfast to fuel your energy resources. This will also manage your Cortisol levels. Cereal is especially good for this.

Fish is another food that should be added to your diet to reduce stress and therefore help weight loss. Oily fish particularly are high in Omega 3. Sardines are delicious on toast. This alone contains a weeks worth of Omega 3 which is great for your diet plan. People in the Far East are normally thin because of food like this that we eat.

Finally learn to accept stress and use it. It’s in us and we can’t get rid of it. In other words make stress work for you. The trick is to put things into perspective and ask yourself “Are things really that bad?” Often we let every day things stress us out needlessly. Remember, combating stress with a healthy diet could just be the miracle weight loss plan you’ve been looking for.

Motivation plus you equals weight loss

We all need motivation to make changes in our lives. But some motivations can have short-term effects whilst other motivations can have long-lasting, life changing effects. This article takes a very quick look at how we can cut to the core of making the long-lasting, life changing decisions easier.

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Why do you want to lose weight? Do you want to make someone else happy? Your kids, your husband? The only way to lose weight in the long-term is to lose weight for you.

While some or most of this article might sound like pointless new-age psycho-babble, at its core are valid, solid ways of changing your life. Do not give in, it may well be a life changing experience.

Whilst these are all valid reasons for losing weight they may actually be the reasons why so many people fail to lose weight or lose weight but then put it all back on with a little extra just for desert. In order to understand long term weight loss we need to look at the nitty-gritty at how the mind works and how we become, and remain motivated, to do something.

When we want to change something about ourselves we need to look deep. Not just “Because the doc said I need to lose a few pounds” deep or “I want to look nice when I lie by the pool” deep. We need to look at where we are now, where we want to be and the difference between the two. That is where the deepness lies.

Ok, let’s take any weight measurements out of the equation and look at body size and shape. We might imagine ourselves to look a long way from the way we want to look. But how does that make us feel? Pretty miserable right. But that’s where your change begins – connect with the feelings caused by the difference between the two you’s. The discrepancy between the you now and the person you want to be is the reality and sometimes the reality hurts! The difference between where we are and where we need to get to needs to be bridged.

You need to imagine what it would feel like to be the person you want to be. Stop for a second and think about it. Close your eyes. Really think about it. Think about the person you want to change for. Because this is only a short article I will give you the answer you need to come up with.

The only person you want to change for is you. There are just so many reasons you could have come up with for changing. Kids, husbands, wives, parents, friends, pets, teams – the list is endless.

The only person you need to change for is you. If this sounds too selfish and self-centred for you then I’m sorry. However, the chance of you changing long-term for anybody other than yourself are minimal. If you think about it another way, what would make the person you are changing for happy? Would they be happier to see YOU happy or would they be happier watching you trying to make THEM happy? So if we want to change we have to look at ourselves and see ourselves as we really are. We need to look to the person we want to be. From then on the person you want to be is going to be the person you are.

If you want to lose weight you need to do it for yourself, no-one else. Not only do you get to be the person you want to be but everybody else gets the benefit of basking in the glow of your happiness and success.

Human Motivation – Discover The Power of Hypnotherapy

Are you interested in formulating an exercise plan that will assist you to remain trim and help you to get thin? Studies regularly show that there are two basic types of exercise that are both extremely efficient and successful. Of course, it stands to reason that you must be motivated in the first place, and that is why therapeutic hypnosis can help solve your problems.

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If you’re like most people, you are interested in creating an exercise system that will assist you to remain healthy and slim. It may shock you to find out that research studies usually demonstrate that only two core kinds of exercise are useful — which suggests that you can’t just choose any type of exercise to become trim.

Due to the fact that so many people have trouble with the motivation to exercise, performing the most efficient kinds of exercise is imperative, since the less time you spend exercising – and the less time you waste on low efficiency exercise – the more likely it is that you will persist in your exercise routine and therefore achieve your personal weight and strength target.

Our first type of exercise which has been regularly proven to aid people to lose weight and get trim is progressive resistance. In brief, progressive resistance is one type of strength training. It functions by progressively ramping up the pounds lifted, the number of sets, and number of repetitions performed. As a result, your muscles are never strained or subjected to damage – instead, they slowly and steadily strengthen without any setbacks.

Our second type of exercise that has been scientifically studied is cardiovascular training. This is any type of exercise that gets the heart rate up to 60 – 85 percent of its maximum rate. Some kinds of cardio training may involve jogging, jumping rope, aerobics, or treadmill, among other types of exercise, but it is your choice.

Although progressive resistance and cardio training by themselves have been found to be very efficient forms of exercise, scientists now know that performing both of these types of exercise is the best bet for success. If you combine both progressive resistance and cardio training, you will increase the strength of your muscle groups and increase overall endurance. According to a recent scientific study, exercisers who used both cardio and progressive resistance during a two month time period lost 45 percent more weight than exercisers who did cardio training or progressive resistance alone.

Just as important as the type of exercise you perform is, the way in which you exercise is also important. It probably will be unsurprising that being consistent is the name of the game. Exercising inconsistently may strain your muscles and will probably not aid you to build strength and endurance. In addition, it is unlikely to improve your whole-body health. According to most scientists, the best regime is to exercise for forty minutes to an hour three to five times per week.

Unfortunately, it turns out that for a significantly sized subset of the population, getting sufficient exercise is not as easy as attending the health club a few times every week or listening to what scientists claim. For this group of people, the motivation to exercise is the primary issue – this group of people simply doesn’t have the motivation to go to the gym. Actually, they might resist any and all exercise, to the point of severe anxiety.

Nobody knows what percentage of the population suffers from problems with the motivation to exercise, but scientists say that up to 20 to 40 percent of people claim that they “hate” or “dread” exercise. An even larger percentage of people might have more mild problems with the motivation to exercise, finding that even though it is simple enough to commit themselves to an exercise regime for a week or two, motivation eventually degrades, leaving them where they were initially – unhealthy and heavy.

If you are one of these people who struggles with the motivation to exercise, the good news is that there are some easy strategies to deal with the struggle. In a recent research study, volunteers who needed to start an exercise program were provided with a brief learning program that aided them to decide on the right kinds of exercise, were provided with a therapist who specialized in exercise motivation, and were given a brief course in hypnosis. After six months, they were asked to evaluate their progress. It turns out that over 85 percent of the participants had adhered to an exercise program throughout the whole six months. Even better, they generally lost an average of fifteen more pounds than the control group.

If you have an interest in this study, it might make sense to look into locating a motivational therapist, habit control therapist, or therapist who deals with hypnotherapy. These therapists are provided with special training in helping people to transcend anxieties, build the motivation to exercise, and reinforce the creation of good habits. One more choice for exercise motivation is self-hypnosis – which is a simple and inexpensive process that often helps people take control of their own inborn abilities to be motivated.

Hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis are risk-free ways of increasing motivation that have been proven to provide success in the case of exercise motivation. Hypnosis works by using hypnotic relaxation to enhance the powers of the unconscious mind to influence the modification of behavior and habit development. Hypnotherapy is a good choice for the exercise adverse because it can help increase the drive to get trim and lose weight easily and effectively.

Need Some Tips To KEEP The Weight Off Once You Lose It?

Are you tired of the yo yo effect? These simple 5 steps can help you KEEP the weight off once you do lose it

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Why do some dieters suffer the endless frustration of losing and then gaining weight again and again, while others lose weight and keep it off forever?

And we know you don’t want to be the latter group?

Here are 5 very simple tips successful dieters implement – and you can easily adapt these good habits yourself.

1.) You know that old conventional wisdom that goes “The scale doesn’t matter when you’re dieting”? For a long time experts scorned the idea of frequent weigh ins, pointing out that the scale can be inaccurate because of fluctuations caused by water weight. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat. So if you’re exercising you may be gaining muscle and that will throw the scale off.

However, it turns out that weighing yourself every day is actually an excellent motivator for dieters. A study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that dieters who weighed themselves every day lost the most weight, and kept it off more successfully, compared to a group of dieters who did not weigh themselves regularly.

2.) Keep a log of everything you eat. When you log everything you eat you will feel MUCH more guilty when you cheat because you have to see it and read it.

3.) Do at least 1 15 minute activity everyday. ANYTHING. Walk your dog, go jogging, do tae bo. Most of us work at desks and sit at home all day – then do it at least three times a week. You will lose weight quicker and this is one of the big contributors of keeping the weight off.

4.) Plan ahead. If you are going out to dinner with friends or to a holiday office party or even to the movies, what are you going to do when hunger pangs hit? Eat something before you go and decide BEFORE you get to the party or movies.

5.) Schedule the occasional indulgence. Most weight loss experts suggest and encourage a cheating day. When you get to eat some pizza, brownie or some ice cream at some time in the week your chances of ditching your plan is much less likely. This can also be a day when you throw in some more activity.

Lose Weight Naturally Through Correct Diet

For those of you out there who believe that you can only lose weight through fasting, you cannot be more wrong! Facts have shown that it is not how much you eat but actually what you eat that results in weight gain in most people. If you decide to eat correctly, you will surely be eating your way to weight loss naturally.

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In the developed world today, a whole lot of people seem to be struggling with a particular challenge common to them all and that is the issue of how to lose weight so as to live a healthier life. In the same vein, a good number of the people concerned tend to believe that the only way to lose that excess fat is by starving themselves or fasting. Nothing can be further than the truth in this case. It has been proven by the experts that one can achieve weight loss naturally through correct dieting.

In order to lose weight naturally, the main thing one has to keep in mind and practice is to eat wisely, take enough water and do some regular exercise. This combination of actions will surely help you get rid of that unwanted fat as well as give you a fitter and sexier physique.

It is pertinent at this stage to note that when I talk of losing weight naturally through correct dieting, I am not talking about some very strict diet but simple ones that can be found in some cook books such as the Metabolic Cooking. I am also not talking about a particular diet for the whole day but an intelligent mix of recommended diets that will end up giving you a healthier body through weight loss.

I suppose that at this stage some of you out will want to know exactly how to eat wise and reap the benefits of losing weight naturally in the shortest possible time. It is not rocket science but simply doing what is right as already suggested. For an example, the diet experts claim that our ability to shed fats is eighty percent correct dieting and twenty percent how much exercise we give to our body. This also means that you need to steer clear of that attractive and sweet junk foodstuff you have been destroying your system with only to go back to the gym to try to burn the fat you got from wrong dieting practice.

Another important aspect of correct dieting is the issue of the water intake level. It is a fact that taking a good amount of water on a daily basis helps in ensuring a clean body system. As a matter of fact, the experts have made it abundantly clear that in order to keep our body system in a clean condition we need to take as much as sixty ounces of water daily. This is much better than the sugary drinks that many people use to replace water in their diet. It is recommended by medical experts that every adult should drink at least eight glasses of water in order to enjoy a healthier life devoid of obesity.

In summary therefore, anyone who wishes to enjoy the benefits weight loss simply needs to combine a correct diet with a good water intake and do some exercise. That also means such a person needs to as well avoid taking junk food and replace that with the consumption of lots of fruit and vegetables. When fruits are added to your meals, it is easier for you to ward off the cravings for sweet since you are ingesting natural sugar instead of the artificial one. You are advised to take fruits such as oranges and or apples in between your meals as a means of eating your way to weight loss and good health.

Five Ways to Lose Weight by Reducing Stress

You can begin to lose weight by reducing your stress level. Here’s how!

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There may be many reasons why you engage in the behavior of overeating. Overeating helps some people gain a sense of control over their lives. Other people overeat when they are stressed or upset. Think about the times that you have had a binge eating session? What was the motivation behind it? Do you turn to food when you are upset or have a stressful day? Do you find a sense of comfort in the food that you eat? If stress is a major factor in your eating habits, finding ways to help reduce stress can help you lose weight.

1. Find a Support System

Having people that you can rely on is a great way to start reducing stress. Call on your friends or family when you are in a stressful situation. They can be a great source of advice or just a shoulder to cry on. Sometimes going out with work friends after a long stressful day can work wonders to melt the stress that you feel. We all need to rely on our friends and family at some point. Being able to talk about your stress is a health alternative to overeating.

2. Post Positive Mantras

Think about the negative comments you make about yourself when you are feeling stressed. Most people struggle with negative self-talk at sometime in their lives. Begin to challenge your old ways of thinking. Replace those old thoughts with positive thoughts that will help you push through stressful times. If a long stressful day at work leaves you thinking that you are “no good at my job”, change your thoughts. Think about how hard you worked today. You put in your all and achieved a goal you had set. Whatever your new thoughts are going to be, post them around your house. This will help you stay focused on them even when you are headed for a stress out moment. Thinking positively can help curb overeating.

3. Find Time to Relax

It is important that you take a few minutes everyday for relaxtion. There are many different things you can do in order to relax. If you had a busy day at work and spent the evening running errands, take a long soak in a tub. If you find yourself working late one night, close your office door and read a chapter in a book. On the weekends, go for a walk around a nature trail. The activity can last five minutes or five hours; the important thing is to take some time to relax.

4. Meditate or Journal

Another great way to reduce stress is to be alone with your thoughts. This can help you sort out what is going on in your life in a healthy way. One way to do this is to meditate. Another way is to write in a journal. Writing in a journal is a great way to begin organizing your thoughts about the stresses in your life. Dealing with your stress in this productive way makes it less likely that you will overeat.

5. Listen to Your Body

Stop beating yourself up for overeating. Move forward into a new way of thinking about eating and food. By listening to your body, you will learn when your body is telling you it is full or hungry. Know the signals that your body gives off in order to begin recognizing the difference between hunger and emotional eating. You can pull through this struggle and be on your way towards a natural weight loss.