What Weight Loss Diet Plan Is Right For You?

Author: Peter Hale

Article:
When it comes to losing weight the first word people think about
is "diet"

Diet to most people means weight loss - people imagine small
portions of food and giving up what they most like to enjoy. I
imagine most folks think of salads, fruit and vegetables and
feeling hungry all of the time.

Luckily there are many diet plans on the market today that
simply allow you to change the way you view food whilst allowing
you to lose weight at a reasonable rate rather than enduring
rapid weight loss which is not suitable to most people's
lifestyles.

Even some the weight loss plans, such as the GI diet, are
actually good for you. The foods you are allowed to eat will
improve your health whilst maintaining a steady weight loss that
you are aiming for.

Being overweight is no fun for anyone and can actually reduce
your life expectancy by 10 or more years so it's important to
maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI) as well.

Some diet plans target instant weight loss in "7 days or less"
but when choosing to start a diet it's better to look at your
longer term goals - rather than losing weight for a special
event it's probably better than you look at your life style and
what you want from yourself and your body.

Certainly people who reduce their weight state that their energy
levels improve dramatically and they enjoy their day to day
lives even more.

So what weight loss diet plans are available to you to try?

As mentioned, the GI diet combines a healthy eating approach and
is based on how your body processes the food you eat. GI diets
are followed by diabetics because it's based on the blood sugar
levels that are produced from what you eat. It's scientifically
researched and if you follow the guides for long term weight
loss it should be beneficial.

Other diet plans include the Atkins Diet, which although has
received bad press is also based on how your body processes food
and is structured around food combination. It is suggested that
if you combine fats, proteins and carbohydrates correctly you
will lose weight naturally. It's best to avoid the high fat
content of this diet as you will raise your cholesterol levels.
Additionally by avoiding carbohydrates your body will initially
lose water rather than fat and this leads to unwanted side
effects such as bad breath.

You should search the internet to see what other diet plans are
available and that fit in with your lifestyle. Generally though,
if you cut out high fat and high calorie food, eat your 5 fruit
and vegetables a day as recommended by most government agencies
and combine this with a light exercise programme, your weight
should be maintained at a healthy level.

You should always speak to your Doctor before embarking on any
weight loss diets and the above should in no way constitute diet
advice. For more information on diet plans please visit HREF="http://www.118diet.co.uk">www.118diet.co.uk

About the author:
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Metabolism, The Secret Weapon to Weight Loss

As Featured on ArticleCity.com

Over the last decade being overweight seems to be more the norm and not the exception. A lot of people have turned this to their advantage. There are so many diet programs out there it’s really hard to decide what works and what doesn’t work. Most of the programs being offered are flash in the pan schemes that just don’t work. The promised results never appear and you are left frustrated, disappointed, and the only thing that’s any thinner is your wallet.

Forget all the programs designed to take your hard earned income, following are some effective ways to help you lose weight and become the healthy, sexier you that’s hidden inside. What’s the cost for this invaluable information? Brace yourself it’s not cheap! It’s even better because it’s completely free.

Surprisingly sleep has a lot to do with weight gain. Sleeping for 8 hours is a great start to losing weight. Studies have been made and it’s been found that lack of sleep slows down your metabolism. People that sleep 4 hours a night have slower metabolisms than someone sleeping 6 to 8 hours a night. Most of these insomniacs add to the problem by consuming more food, after all they have an extra 4 hours to eat. So number one on the list is try to sleep for 8 hours a day. How do you sleep longer, keep reading.

Research also tells us that our metabolism starts to slow down between late afternoon and late evening. What are most people doing at these times? Sitting around talking or watching TV and snacking. Do this on a regular basis and before long you’re twice the person you used to be. This is the time to take action, you need to drag yourself out of your chair and either do a little exercise or go for an evening walk. It’s rough in the beginning but after a while it becomes second nature. The mind and body can become addicted to good habits as easily as bad habits.

Other things you might want to consider. Instead of jumping in the car to go to the corner store, why not walk? Walking is a great way to burn off a few extra calories. Leave a few minutes early and park the car further away when you go to work. If you have the choice between the elevator and the stairs, take the stairs. Work in the yard or garden instead of watching TV when the weather permits. If you must snack between meals don’t keep them with you, put them in another room and take one or two at a time. These are small changes that won’t drive you nuts and have you running to refrigerator all the time.

Don’t skip meals; eating three well-balanced meals each day is essential to stabilizing your weight. Miss a meal and your body realizes it and as soon as food is available the body wants to gorge itself and you end up eating more than normal. Missing meals will not help you lose weight; it can actually hinder your efforts. The metabolism slows down because the body is trying to conserve food to supply energy and this energy is saved in the form of fat. Eat more proteins. Protein intake stabilizes the amount of insulin in the bloodstream, which is highly beneficial to the body.

Exercise is good for you and as long as you are physically healthy and don’t go to extremes is recommended by every medical professional. Although exercise does not directly influence the metabolism, it does help indirectly by giving you better and more relaxed sleep. And, as mentioned earlier sleeping does increase your metabolism.

Lean muscle is a great help in expediting your metabolism, your aim should be to increase your lean muscle mass. You don’t have to start jogging ten miles a day or run out and buy a gym membership to achieve this. Plan on doing a few squats and pushup everyday and this alone will help immensely.

Raising your metabolism will greatly increase your chances of losing those extra pounds and a few simple changes will keep them off and make you feel less tired and ready to face the world each morning. Eat well-balanced meals; replace meat with skinless chicken or fish; for a between meals snack try fruit instead of a candy bar or crackers; drink a glass of water before each meal and a glass of water between each meal. Cut back on fried foods.

I know it all sounds so easy but I have to tell you, it isn’t. Your will power is going to get the best of you. That little voice that whispers inside your head, tells you how much you miss that baked potato oozing with butter and sour cream, or that triple burger and large fries. And, you’re going to give in and eat yourself into a stupor. It’s only human nature for this to happen, and it will. The trick is to realize this and accept it. It happened and there’s nothing you can do about it. Don’t lecture yourself; don’t bang your head against the wall; and don’t quit. Continue from where you left off. It might happen a few times. Each time it does and you continue you’re reinforcing to your mind and your body that you’re determined to win this battle and eventually they’ll understand and come over to your side.

The 7 Day Fruit Diet

Quick-Loss - The 7 Days Fruit Fast by Cambridge Onoh

If you are looking to get rid of your Xmas binge weight gain in the quickest possible time ever then try The 7 Days Fruit Fast, designed to enable you achieve maximum weight loss in just one week! In fact, some people, especially those with a lot of weight to lose, have lost as much as 1 Stone on this diet in the space of a week!

It is strict and rigid and you must adhere strictly to the rules for successful weight loss. This diet acts as a detoxification fruit fast. I know it is called a Fruit-fast but you won’t really be starving because you will be eating tons of fruits throughout. And even if you have to fast, so what? It’s no big deal.

People have been fasting from the beginning of the universe. According to the Bible, Jesus fasted for forty days and survived. The Blessed one Buddha and the prophet Mohammed, both equally undertook lengthy fasts and lived to tell the story. Political prisoners go on hunger strikes and survive. People, including little children in war-torn, flood and quake-ridden, famine-stricken countries, equally go without food for weeks.

I’m telling you all these to let you know that you can do your 7 days Fruit-fast successfully, if you programme your mind to success. Call it your contribution to the fight against world poverty and starvation, whatever! But today is Monday morning and you are about to start this all-fruit diet, which will take you to the end of Sunday evening. So, here goes!


(1) Firstly, go to the Fruiterers/Greengrocers and buy as much fruits as you can afford. Buy grapes, pear, water-melons, apples, plums, kiwi, oranges, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. Note that no bananas, avocado pears, mangoes and dried fruits are mentioned. This is because they can’t be eaten in the first week of your diet under any circumstances. These are heavy-duty fruits that take as long as one hour to digest and will simply clutter your system and mess up your diet. We want loads of water-based fruits in this first week. Buy some canned fruits in natural juice for variety if you are desperate. Make sure you avoid canned fruits in syrup.


(2) Get four bowls and fill up each one with a variety of fruits. Place the first on the side table near your favourite chair in the sitting room, another by your bedside, a third on the study/home office table if you have one, and the last, right in front of the fridge door to ensure you do not open that fridge to snack, without first getting past that fruit-bowl obstacle. Think with military precision - strategy! Strategy! Strategy! Remember, this is a war on the terror of obesity, so we can’t take any chances. This first week of your diet will be the toughest one ever, as you will be at war with your will power all the way. So you’ve got to be ready and prepared in every way possible. Make things easier for yourself by not having any other food item in the house that might mess up your diet. Just stock up on fruits alone, so that when you feel peckish, you will have no other option but to peck on fruits.

(3) Now wait for Monday morning and weigh yourself after your wee, in your birthday suit. Record your weight in your log-book, put away your scales and then start pigging out on your fruits. You do not have to count calories or do any such boring stuff. These water-based fruits can be eaten in unlimited quantities and still do no damage to your weight, in fact, the reverse. So eat as much as you like. Just listen to your stomach to tell you when it’s had enough.


(4) Have a ready supply of natural mineral water, which you can flavour with fresh lemon juice. For the next seven days, eat and drink these to your hearts content. Don’t stint yourself on the quantity you can have. Don’t time yourself to eat at any specific time. Just annihilate those fruits and let your body do the rest.


(5) Finally, make sure you take your daily supplements with lots of water, as these supplements will help suppress your appetite, replenish lost nutrients and basically speed up the rate at which your body burns calories and loses weight. So it is vital that you always take your supplements for the success of your Fast-diets. A note of warning, do not take any tea, coffee, alcohol or pop, nor engage in any exercise or heavy manual labour when doing this 7 days Fruit fast. Doing these, will build up those toxins we are trying to get rid of, as well as make you ill. Now you know the rules for The 7 Days Fruit Fast, stick to them rigidly, prove that you really mean business this time and watch the weight drop off at an incredible rate!

For more information on "Fast Diets" and fat-burning natural supplements, visit www.killer-looks.info

About the Author

Cambridge is a Law Graduate of University of Warwick, United Kingdom and a published author. Her latest book "Quickloss - Secret Weapons of Fat Destruction" provides an indepth study of the most effective fast diets, guaranteed to burn the greatest fat in the quickest time possible.

It is generally assumed that fats are potentially harmful elements as part of your diet. Which is true if consumed in great amounts. Like all the other food groups if used in moderation or as prescribed by the food pyramid (see previous article for information about the food pyramid) there are benefits by including fats in your diet. In fact fats are necessary to maintain proper health. Fats are stored by the body and are a major form of energy. If food becomes unavailable the stored fat is used as a secondary source by the body to provide energy and help prevent starvation.

Glycogen is the dominant form of the bodies carbohydrates supply but it cannot be stored in large amounts because it also holds lots of water, which is very bulky. This limits the supply of carbohydrates that are needed for energy. Fats, since there is no water can be packed together tightly and store more energy than glycogen in a less space.

Fat rich foods can be invaluable in many situations. Since one gram of fat supplies twice the calories of one gram of carbohydrates it supplies twice the energy or in such cases as hard physical labor or and when traveling in cold climates fats are transformed into energy in the form of heat. The major problem with fatty foods is the temptation to over indulge. The aroma and taste is normally enough to make you eat more than you should and your body stores the extra calories in the form of fat.

When should you stop eating? There’s what you might consider a grapevine running through the body, when something happens at one point a message is sent ahead saying what the next process should be. There are certain fats in food that slow digestion and send out a signal through the grapevine to the brain saying it’s time to quit eating. Fatty foods give a fuller feeling of satisfaction and when the stop-eating signal is ignored everything eaten beyond that point will again be stored as fat.

We cannot survive without some fat in our diet, a cushion of fat protects the vital organs of our body, and it acts like a shock absorber to prevent damage from knocks and bumps.
We are also protected from extremes in temperature by a layer of fat beneath the skin.

Many people are actually in fear of eating too much fat. Eating disorders such as gaining weight and anorexia are often associated with this fear. You have to realize that fat is a requirement of the body and in moderate amounts will keep it happy and healthy and rather than eliminating fat from your diet you should be choosing the type of fats you eat. Stay away from fast food, it is known for the notorious amounts of fats in the food. Concentrate more on the good fats such as those found in olive oil.

As with everything in your diet fats are a requirement of your body. Moderation is the key. A small amount of good fats each day will help you stay healthy.

7 Of The Best Diet Secrets Of The Stars

You see them in movies, television, Oscar nomination ceremonies and walking down the red carpet whenever a new movie makes it's debut. They always look sleek, well manicured and the picture of health with their perfect bodies and you probably wonder how can they always look so perfect. Well in most cases they don't look that way naturally, it takes a whole lot of effort to get and keep that appearance. Imagine if you were in the public eye everyday, wouldn't you be willing to do what it takes to look good, to be a larger than life presence? They have a following, a group of fans and they can't afford to let themselves go. It's their livelihood at stake. They wear nice clothes, have fabulous hairdo’s and makeup and most importantly they take good care of their bodies.

Looking good does take work; sitting in front of the TV with a pizza in one hand and a bag of candy in the other isn't the ideal situation for staying fit and trim. A lot of stars have actually developed their own little secret methods for looking good. Each has their own style for staying gorgeous. It could be a finely tuned diet or a specifically designed workout program. So if you want to start yourself on the road to a new sexy you I've compiled a list of seven women celebrates diet secrets to get you started.

1) This is the secret diet plan used by actress Jennifer Anniston: One of the stars of the very popular TV sitcom "Friends" her comic sense and her famous hairstyles mesmerize the viewers each time the program airs. She's a girl that everyone loves, she's appeared on numerous magazine covers and is also believed to have one of the sexiest bodies in Hollywood. How does she keep that gorgeous body in shape? She uses the 40:30:30 diet method, which is:

1) 40% Low glycemic carbohydrates.
Such foods as fruits and vegetables, legumes, and
beans.
2) 30% Essential fats.
Fish, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.
3) 30% Lean proteins.
Chicken, turkey, tofu, beef, low fat dairy products
and fish.

To obtain the balance of hormones and achieve maximum weight loss it is imperative that each meal should contain macro nutrients.

2) The beautiful daughter of Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson used a combination of diet and an exercise program. During her pregnancy she gained an incredible 60 pounds. She had to shed this weight in order to do her next film. Using this revised plan she lost all of the baby weight in just 4 months and developed abdominal muscles that were the envy of many people in Hollywood. She switched from her regular eating plan to a high protein plan. She ate high protein meals in smaller portions combined with an exercise plan including weight training and cardiovascular workouts.

3) Supermodel Christie Brinkley maintains a lifestyle that insures she keeps her all-American good looks and sumptuous figure. She is a full time vegetarian. She doesn't eat junk food; she doesn't keep any junk food in the house. By living this way she is never tempted to cheat and to satisfy any craving for sweets, she snacks on sweet potatoes instead of candy bars. If she ever has to drop a few pounds fast she simply goes on a strict liquid juice diet.

4) The material girl Madonna. The pop star with a body to die for. She is a true fitness paragon. She keeps that gorgeous body in great shape by practicing Ashtanga yoga, following a strict diet and adopted a macrobiotic eating plan which includes organic foods rich in lean protein, and of course avoids junk food almost totally.

5) You may find this hard to believe but the slim award-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow actually needs to diet to keep off the extra weight. She follows a diet plan very similar to Oprah Winfrey's. She usually follows a macrobiotic diet, avoiding sugar and white flour, eating foods such as vegetables, lean meat, and brown rice. She doesn't eat dairy products and her favorite exercise is yoga which she practices daily.

6) The beautiful and bodacious German model Claudia Schiffer eats only fruit from morning through the afternoon. For dinner she feasts on delicious steamed vegetables and salads. When away from home on location the delicacy she thrives on are black grapes and her choice of beverage is tomato juice or herbal tea.

7) We can't leave without bringing the secret diet tactics of one of the most well known ladies of today. Oprah Winfrey. Oprah fights a constant battle to maintain her weight. Millions of people watch Oprah almost every day and for this reason alone she needs to maintain her physical appearance. It's a hard battle; Oprah is known to be one of those celebrates who have a constant battle with weight gain. Now in her early fifties she recently toned up her figure by combining a regular exercise program and diet plan. She works out five times a week using free weights and a half hour trek on the treadmill. Her diet includes fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish, low fat chicken and dairy products, and limited amounts of white sugar and flour. She also doesn't eat anything after seven in the evening. All this has worked really well for Oprah. She has never looked finer

Well as you can see there's no miracle cure. It takes hard work and determination to get that drop-dead gorgeous body. There is more pressure on celebrates because of who they are and what they do. But just because ordinary people are not in the spotlight doesn't mean they can't have celebrity type bodies. By using these diet plans combined with an exercise plan and determination they can have a body that is the envy of others.

What the heck is a Food Pyramid?

What the heck is a Food Pyramid?

The variety of both natural and highly processed foods available at the market is overwhelming so the US Department of agriculture designed what is known as the food pyramid. Why was this name chosen? Because that’s exactly what it is. It’s shaped in the form of a pyramid with labeled illustrations and it demonstrates the different groups of essential food types and how much should be consumed by a normal individual.

Food types that serve as a ready source of energy and are rich in starch and low in fat, which include pasta, bread, cereals and different types of grain form the base of the pyramid. As specified by the food pyramid a normal adult individual requires between six and eleven servings of these items every day. Of all the foods in this group whole grain are considered the best and the healthiest. As an example, a cup of cereal flakes, a slice of bread, one ounce of rice or pasta and one flat tortilla would be considered a single serving.

Vegetables and fruits are required in less quantity than carbohydrates according to the food pyramid. It specifies that a normal adult only requires three to five servings of vegetables and only two to four servings of fruits each day. Vegetables and fruits have high fiber content so this food group is a great help in keeping bowel movements regular.
They are also rich in vitamins and minerals, which helps boost immunity and overall health in general. Although fruit juice is acceptable, fresh fruit has many more benefits and should be chosen whenever possible and when it comes to vegetables go for the darker green vegetables.

Proteins and dairy products are the next step up the pyramid. The recommendation for a normal adult is two to three servings each day. Some sources of protein are eggs, beans, fish, lean meat and nuts. Whenever meat is used any visible fat should be removed. This will cut down the calories and you don’t want pure fat entering you body. Nuts also contain fat so they should be used moderately. Milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream fall into the dairy category. Without saying, Ice scream and cheese should not be eaten in high quantity since they both contain high fat content. Milk contains vitamins and minerals like magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus and could be considered almost a complete diet all alone.

At the peak of the food pyramid are the fats, oils, and sweets. Any of these foods should be used sparingly. Other foods that fall into this category are cream, butter, margarine, candies, etc; the body has a hard time digesting any of these items so usage should be in moderation. They should not however be eliminated.. As with all the other foods in the pyramid they are an important part of ones diet.

Are Fad Diets For You

Most people suffering from weight problems sooner or later
are attracted to fad diets. The promise of quick weight loss
promised by these programs is directed at the emotions of
these people. They point out how a shapely physique will
gain the admiration of family and friends.


What do most fad diets promise? Loss of Weight in an
extremely short time, build up of self esteem, health
problems caused by excess weight and how you can feel
better by shedding the pounds and the impression that
your spouse and children will love you more. Fad diets
may give fast results but normally they aren't lasting
results. The fats remain and once the fad diet is given
up the body starts to renew its water storage and the
body quickly regains the weight that was lost.. Even
worse most of these fad diets can be really harmful to
your health.


Although you may think that fad diets are relatively
new they actually date back to the mid 19th century.
Such diets were prescribed to obese Londoners on an
experimental basis. Today there are more and more fad
diets being created and they are very popular with Teens,
young adults, and anyone else feeling they have a weight
problem.


Most fad diets stress the intake of carbohydrates should
be limited or completely eliminated from ones diet while
the intake of either fats or proteins should be increased.
The weight loss is achieved by the lack of carbohydrates.
In fact the rapid loss is due to the loss of water that
glycogen has stored. As glycogen levels diminish large
amounts of water stored in it are also lost causing the
impression of weight loss. The fats remain and once the
fad diet is given up the body starts to renew its water
storage and the body quickly regains the weight that was
lost.


Under normal conditions carbohydrates remain the source
of energy for work. When the carbohydrates are removed
as required by most fad diets the body starts to use the
bodies’ stored fat, breaking it down. Although this may
seem beneficial it really isn't. Fats cannot be completely
oxidized and put to work with a shortage of carbohydrates.
Under these circumstances the body begins to feel weak and
tired. Also, due to the fat breakdown ketone molecules
accumulate in the blood; these are then ejected from the
body in the urine which can lead to dehydration.


There are certain warning signs one should be aware of
since the effects of fad diets on the health can be
degrading. Beware and watch out for diets that:

1) Show before and after pictures
2) Offer weight loss testimonials
3) Limit or delete natural food choices
4) Require large sums of money
5) Offer quick weight loss


Fad diets are popular, they promise immediate results but
they can cause damage to your body. So pay attention to the
this warning:

Before beginning any weight loss or exercise program consult your doctor

He can tell you if its safe. Do this and it might just save
you a lot of grief later on.