How Should I Eat If I’m Trying to Lose a Lot of Weight?

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Chris_Bandler]Chris Bandler

You can lose a lot of weight just by changing the way that you eat. Get the tips you need in this article.

Smaller Amounts More Frequently

One of the easiest ways to lose weight is to eat less food but more often. The way I do this is to divide my daily calorie maximum by six. Here’s an example.

Let’s say that I want to lose weight by eating only 1200 calories per day. Instead of eating 3 meals a day of 400 calories each, I’m going to do it differently.

Instead, I’m going to eat 6 meals a day of 200 calories each.

You only get hungry about 2 to 3 hours after every meal. So I can eat roughly every 2 to 3 hours but only eat 200 calories at a time. This is actually the way that we are supposed to eat and is better for more efficient metabolism.

Look around you in nature, do you see animals eating 3 squares meals per day? Only if they are domesticated. Most other animals forage and eat all day long.

Low GI Foods

You will lose more weight if you burn all the food you eat instead of converting it to fat. Junk food easily goes on as fat because it causes our blood sugar to peak very quickly and then crash afterwards.

Instead, you want to be eating slow burn foods. We say that these have a low glycaemic index or low GI.

So instead of eating white bread, eat brown. Avoid alcohol and starchy carbs like potatoes. Eat more nuts and seeds but not too many. The more refined and sweet tasting something is, the higher the GI.

No Junk

I know it goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway. You must cut out the junk. You know what junk is and you simply can’t lose a lot of weight if you are eating junk every day. Promise yourself to cut the junk out for at least 2 weeks so that you can see how much weight you are capable of losing without it.

Fruits

This is a great way to replace the junk. Buy yourself some exotic fruits. Fruits are great and a better replacement for junk and candies. Fruits are what nature intended us to eat. Bright so we are curious, full of water and nutrients and easily digestible.

Don’t believe the phony stories that fruit has a lot of sugar and is bad for you. There are some people who live entirely on fruit! Fruit is good for you and never bad for you.

Discover the secret way to lose fat quickly at http://www.LoseTheFatQuick.com

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Diet Mistakes to Avoid

This is a nightmare for everyone who follows a diet
You have almost reached your goals and than boom a return in weight
You ask yourself: How is that possible, have if followed a wrong diet?
If you follow a diet it is very important that you do everything right.
In this article you will discover six diet mistakes to avoid.

Diet mistake #1: Support

This is just the same such as stop smoking or exams you need support from people.
Without support it is very difficult to keep with your diet plan.
Online support is also an option just visit some forums about dieting or weight loss.
Diet mistake #2: Not drinking enough water.

Water is one of the most important elements in your life.
Drink at least eight glasses of water per day and even more in the summer (or other hot periods).
Drink water from a bottle and not from a glass, you will drink a lot more.
Diet mistake #3: Skipping breakfast.

I can’t say this enough do not skip your breakfast.
This is the most important meal of all; it gives you energy to start the day.
If you skip you are more likely to eat high fat and high sugar snacks.

Diet mistake #4: Juice or fruit?

For every piece of fruit you can buy the juice however it is better to eat the real stuff.
The industry added a lot of calories and sugars in the fruit juice.
Fruit juice doesn’t contain any fibers.
Diet mistake #4: Exercises are necessary

You can spend hundreds of dollars on diet products and information if you don’t do psychical activities your weight-loss programme is not complete. Some effective ways to lose weight with exercises are fitness, running, belly dancing, jogging. Be active for at least 30 minutes in a day.

Diet mistake #5: Eating low fat snacks

Go to your local store and you will find a lot of low fat snacks crisps, chips, chocolate bars.
Of course you can spend a few dollars on it from time to time but eating to much low fat snacks can kill your diet.
Diet mistake #6: Setting unrealistic goals.

Having weight loss goals for yourself is a good idea but setting unrealistic weight loss goals can cause frustration and especially if you don’t reach them.
Researchers have found out that losing weight quickly is not healthy at all.
So you have read the 6 “Diet mistakes to avoid”.
I hope you have learned something from it. Although this article will help you out it is not enough, knowledge is the key in your weight loss battle.

When it comes to dieting you need to stay informed.
Why don’t you try out some low fat desserts.
More weight loss articles and tips can be found on my site + free report (97$ value).
Quick weight loss tips

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frederik_Deglande
 

How Many Calories Should You Eat Per Day?

By Jessica Dawn

When it comes to losing weight, maintaining your weight, or changing your body composition, understanding calories is crucial to your success.

I know the idea of counting calories is maddening, but the truth is that in order to lose weight (or body fat), you must create a caloric deficit; you must burn more than you consume. Maintaining your weight requires you to burn as much as you consume & if you want to change your body composition (lose fat), you must understand how to retain or build your lean body mass & burn fat (understanding calories is a big part of this).

I am not suggesting you count calories for each meal, each snack, and every single bite of food you have. I could never do that myself so I wouldn’t recommend it for you (unless you want to that is). I simply want you to know that in order for you to reach your goals, no matter what they are, it requires you to gain a basic understanding of how calories work.

The first step you should take is to learn how many calories you require each day. There are a couple of different formulas you can use to calculate your caloric needs. If you would like to learn how many calories you need each day, click here. This calculation will give you a general idea of the calories you need each day. Be aware that this equation does not take into consideration LBM (Lean Body Mass) which plays a major role in the number of calories your require each day (higher % LBM = higher metabolism), but it will give you a general idea to start with.

The second step you should take is to educate yourself on the calories contained in the various foods you eat. Although I personally would never count the calories I eat for each meal, I do have calorie strategies in place. I’ve been paying attention & educating myself about the number of calories contained in various foods for a long time now and it really helps me. For example, I know about how many calories are in a medium apple, my favorite granola bar, & a tablespoon of peanut butter (one of my weaknesses, I’ve been caught eating pb out of the jar numerous times!). Since I remember this information, I can estimate how much food I should eat each day, each snack, each meal. Even though I don’t know the real number of calories and never will!

You can start to become aware of the calories contained in various foods by reading the labels. You’ll begin to see that things like peanut butter, butter, & oils are mostly fat and are very high in calories. It doesn’t mean you should not eat high calorie foods, but once you know this you can begin to adjust what you eat based on your personal needs.

Every step you take towards your goals is a positive step. Educating yourself and understanding the basics of how your body works is a major positive step you can take by learning a few new nutrition facts each day. Calories are an important part of losing weight and reaching your goals so I encourage you to learn something about calories each day (even if it’s just a little fact).

Jessica Dawn is a fitness professional who has been studying health & fitness for over 10 years. In addition to actively participating in fitness, Jessica has a degree in Kinesiology (exercise science) which allows her to understand both the scientific and behavioral aspects of weight loss and fitness.

Jessica Dawn is a leader in teaching health & fitness through the internet. You can also visit her blog @ http://www.visfitness.blogspot.com and learn proven stratgies to make your fitness program effective. To receive a free report, visit: http://www.visfitness.com

In this course, Jessica will show you how to develop a lifestlye of health, vitality, and fitness. She answers the quesions you have about life-long weight control and resolves the roadblocks you may have faced in the past so you can achieve your goals and remain fit for life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Dawn
 

Advanced Weight Loss Secrets of a Top Fitness Professional

By Craig Ballantyne

Are there really any fat loss secrets? Well, of course! After all, if everyone knew these secrets, we wouldn’t have any fat people, would we? And if you knew them all, then you’d be able to boost your metabolism and fat burning and get rid of that last bit of fat around your belly. So take a look at these tips to burn your belly fat and lose weight fast.

An interviewer recently asked me, “What are your top 5 fat loss tips”?

Well, here’s my answer on my fat loss secrets.

Starting with the top 5 beginner tips…

1) No liquid calories (with the exception of milk - as long as it fits your daily nutrition plan). So get rid of all the juices, the sodas, and the sports drinks. Liquid sugar is the last thing you need when you are trying to lose fat. And say goodbye to booze - not only will it lead to excess calories in, but it can also reduce the quality of your sleep - and that just leads to a whole other list of problems.

2) No fast food. Do not eat at fast food restaurants. Even if you choose what you think is healthy, remember this: Fast food restaurants are all about profit. And in order to profit while giving you cheap, quick, and easy to prepare foods, the quality of the food ingredients will be poor - especially the protein.

Now you might have read that you can still make healthy choices at fast food restaurants. But you know what, that’s just politically-correct nonsense. If it’s fast food, it’s poor food. You do realize it’s no coincidence that fast food chicken breasts are the exact same shape and size, right?

Walking into a burger joint and grabbing a pre-formed chicken breast on a white bread bun with a piece of old lettuce and a half-green, half-pink tomato is not healthy eating.

The politically-incorrect truth is that it’s going to take time and effort to eat properly. You will have to plan, shop, and prepare healthy meals. You will have to spend time cleaning, cutting, and cooking your food. That’s the truth.

But believe me, it will taste so much better than fast food, and healthy eating will make you more alert. Eating fast food will make you feel terrible, and will make you want to have an afternoon nap at your desk.

Do the best you can to improve on your nutrition everyday.

3) Eat more fruits and vegetables. If you are eating 2 servings per day, then go up to 4 servings per day by the end of the week. And even if you think you are doing great by having 5 servings per day, you still need to double that (take 2-3 weeks to work your way up to 10 servings per day). Stick with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables. And go organic whenever possible.

4) Eat 1oz of almonds or walnuts per day (1/2 oz in the AM, and the other half in the afternoon). Most nuts are roasted in hydrogenated oils (trans fats), so stick to non-roasted nuts.

5) Be consistent with your workouts, and make sure the workouts are efficient and effective. To make it easy for you to follow, stick with the strength and interval workout system.

It doesn’t matter if you train in the morning before or after breakfast, or at night before or after dinner, or at 1pm on days when the moon is in line with Saturn…don’t worry about the details, just train consistently.

6) BONUS TIP: Go for a walk after lunch or dinner (or anytime you eat a big meal). Research shows this will help you control your cholesterol and triglycerides, plus any movement is better than sitting around watching the TV and snacking.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training for Fat Loss have helped thousands of men and women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. Turbulence Training for Fat Loss workouts help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment. Craig’s bodyweight workouts for fat loss help you lose fat without any equipment at all.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Ballantyne
 

How Does Green Tea Help Weight Loss?

For many people, finding a weight loss supplement that’s safe and effective would be nothing short of a miracle. We all know that there are no magic bullets when it comes to weight loss; we have to consume fewer calories in a day than our body uses in order to lose weight. However, finding ways to burn fat faster would speed up the process and make it easier.

One product that seems to have much promise in helping people to lose weight is green tea. In some studies, green tea has been shown to help regulate insulin and lower cholesterol and triglycerides. In addition, it is believed that green tea speeds up the metabolism, so that we burn fat faster, and can even turn off the receptors that make us want to eat.

In addition, green tea, unlike many other weight loss aids is very healthy overall. Green tea is a potent source of anti-oxidants, which help us stay healthy and disease free by fighting free radicals. Free radicals are oxygen containing molecules that are a by-product of our digestive processes. Left unchecked, they damage our cells and DNA, eventually leading to disease.

However, green tea and other foods with anti-oxidants keep free radicals at bay, preventing aging and disease. For example, diets rich in green tea and other anti-oxidants have been linked to a reduction in the risk of heart disease and cancer. So, green tea is a weight loss supplement that you can feel good about, because it can improve your overall health while it helps you shed the pounds.

Most of us are aware of the problems that many other weight loss supplements can cause. Ephedra, for example, has proven to be an effective way to speed up the metabolism, but can have very dangerous side effects. In fact, it has even been linked to heart attacks and death in some users.

But, just how does green tea work? There are several components in green tea that seem to work together to provide the health and weight loss benefits that green tea’s so famous for. Researchers have pinpointed three components in green tea that seem to have an effect on weight loss.

Caffeine

Green tea has lower caffeine content than coffee or black tea, but it does contain caffeine. Interestingly enough, however, green tea’s caffeine does not seem to have the negative side effects found in other products containing caffeine. Green tea doesn’t cause jitters or speed up the heart rate the way that other caffeinated beverages can. However, the caffeine in green tea does appear to speed up the metabolism.

Many of us take our caffeine intake for granted, but caffeine has been shown to aid in weight loss. Many studies have shown that people on a low calorie diet who consume caffeine daily lose more weight overall than those who are on a low calorie diet alone.

Catechins

Catechins are the anti-oxidants in green tea. Catechins are polyphenolic antioxidant plant metabolites, specifically flavonoids called flavan-3-ols. They are found in many plants, including the cocoa plant and the coffee plant, but the best source of catechins is the Camellia sinensis (tea) plant.

The reason that green tea is considered a better source of catechins than black tea is because of the difference in processing. Black tea is fermented, which changes the catechins. Green tea, however, is unfermented, leaving the catechins in their natural state.

Because tea catechins are some of the most powerful anti-oxidants around, they are some of the most effective at preventing disease. This is why diets rich in tea are thought to prevent many diseases, including heart disease and cancer.

In terms of weight loss, catechins are believed to suppress lipid (fat) absorption from the diet. This is important because it helps reduce cholesterol, but it is also thought to prevent the accumulation of body fat.

Theanine

Theanine is the main amino acid in green tea. Theanine may be important to weight loss because of its ability to induce relaxation and the release of dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical produced by the brain that helps in providing a feeling of well being in the body.

Theanine also seems to minimize the effects of caffeine, which is why the caffeine in green tea doesn’t seem to cause jitters and an increased heart rate the way that caffeine in other beverages can. So, while theanine may not actively cause weight loss, it can be effective in creating a feeling of calm in those who ingest it. This power may help those who overeat as a result of stress to curb this tendency.

It is certain that more studies are needed on how green tea helps with weight loss. One interesting study on the subject, by the Shizuoka University in Japan, evaluated all three of these green tea components individually, as well as in combination, to try and determine just what components are most important.

This study concluded that the most important component of green tea for weight loss is caffeine. Caffeine is responsible for speeding up the metabolism and creating thermogenesis, which burns fat. However, the study also showed that catechins do seem to have an anti-obesity effect on their own, helping the body to eliminate dietary fat rather than absorbing it.

In short, green tea seems to be the near perfect combination for helping lose weight and improve health at the same time. Diet and exercise are still critical to taking off excess weight and keeping it off for good, but it does appear that green tea can be an effective tool in fighting the battle of the bulge.

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea) and chai. Visit goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company’s fine line of teas.  

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Stout

Low Carb Weight Loss Diets

Record 1992 as the year of low carb diet rebirth. However, even before this year, people had already been using low carb diet to facilitate their weight loss. In fact, during the 70’s and 80’s fad diets have become the norm in the society. The two most well-known among these are the Scarsdale and Atkins diets.

Scarsdale diet is a 14-day meal plan for which the main idea is to restrict as much calories as one can. Atkins diet is a weight loss plan that allows unlimited consumption of calories so long as the calorie intake from food items such as vegetables, fat, protein and carbohydrates are kept low.

While they remain to be the choice among Americans, these diet regimens have fell out of favor when rampant campaigns to eat lots of grains were initiated.

But then, they begin to relive their fame during the 90s.

The main premise though of all diet programs is to minimize the intake of simple and refined carbohydrates.
Refined carb is the proponent for the production of excess insulin in the body, which in turn leads to fat storage. These fats usually reside in the middle part of the body. Therefore, the fats you see in that region were all once simple carbohydrates.

While there are large discrepancies between different forms of diets, they all agree at one point- insulin, when produced in excess can truly create negative effects in the body. This is more prominent for diabetics.

Therefore, the key is to lower body sugar and get around from the use of simple carbs. To better understand our points, let us discuss simple carbs and complex carbs.

Simple carbs

Low nutrient content- high glycemic index.

That simply describes simple carbs. They can be digested fully and at great speed, which in effect can increase your blood sugar level dramatically. However, the risk comes when the blood sugar falls in the same manner.

To keep your body working efficiently, you can best avoid foods such as potatoes, white breads and bananas. Commercially processed foods like candies, cakes, cookies and soda beverages must be limited, if possible ignored.
Complex carbs, on the other hand, work in a different manner. They primarily contain high level of nutrients and do not change blood sugar instantly.

Because complex carb fiber content are high, they help greatly in maintaining an efficient digestive system which is both ideal for your health and weight loss. Fibers are helpful in cleaning your system as well as giving immediate sensation of stomach fullness. Therefore, they provide much bulk on the stool and in your stomach.

Along with the above said benefits, fibers are also effective in taking away with them carbohydrates and cholesterol. Thus, decreased risk towards fatal conditions such as heart attacks and the likes plus lesser carbohydrate content in your body.
Examples of foods that have high complex carb contents are the following: whole grains, majority of fruits and vegetables, legumes, beans and peas.

So when trying to loose weight by means of low carb diet, don’t jump in immediately to extremely low carb-containing foods. Your body definitely needs some grains of carbs in that. Otherwise, your systems might be impaired due to carbohydrate insufficiency. If you want to loose weight faster, just avoid foods that contain simple carbs. But never go to the extreme of not eating them. A treat once in a while would be fine to make weight loss a success with out a sense of deprivation.