I was recently asked this question:

“I’m what is called morbidly obese. I am at least 200 pounds over weight. My question is, do I need to eat more calories because I am a larger person than average?”

Here’s my answer:

Our body has what is called “homeostasis” – this means that it doesn’t like change. Your body will try to preserve your current weight. Now, here’s the tricky part in your situation: Your body wants to preserve your CURRENT weight (350 pounds for example). But what YOU want to do is “preserve” your IDEAL weight (150 pounds for example). Right now, you may not realise it, but you are a “normal person” (with ideal weight) covered in 200 extra pounds of weight (mostly fat).

From a survival and “functionality” standpoint, what you want to preserve (and what you want to convince your body to preserve) is the 150 “normal” pounds that are mainly comprised of your muscles, skin, bones, internal organs and yes, some amount of fat that any healthy body must have.

From a nutritional standpoint, you don’t really need to eat THAT much more. You basically need to eat the amount of food that will nourish and support your “normal” 150-pound self (remember? The one that is covered under the 200 extra fat pounds). What about the rest of the 200 pounds of fat? I think you will agree that you DON’T want to “preserve” or “support” that. Think of it as an “external organism” that you need to make “starve” so you make it “collapse” and get rid of.

Ok, enough of the theory. What do you need to do in order to lose the extra 200 pounds of fat?

First of all, don’t cut your calories TOO much. Remember: You need to be able to preserve your “150 pound normal self”. When you cut calories too much, your body thinks: “Hey, what’s going on here? Is there not enough food? Let’s try to preserve the fat (since it contains more calories and energy than anything else) and get rid of the muscle mass”. It’s weird how are bodies think sometimes but it’s true. In situations of starvation, our muscles are considered “expendable” and our fat not.

Now, it may be helpful to look at the situation as a boxing match:

On the right side, you have the “home town hero” who weighs 150 pounds – and is the underdog called “LEANMUSCLIMUS”.

On the left side you have “200-pound world champion” “FATSO” who is arrogant and nobody likes.

I’ve watched the movie “Rocky” too many times, huh?

Ok, we need to help our 150-pound local hero defeat the 200-pound evil champion.

As your normal self becomes healthier and stronger (with proper nutrition and exercise), he will burn more and more calories even at rest. Many people make the mistake of concentrating on the fat when what they need to do is focus on the lean muscle mass. Trust me, if you increase your lean muscle mass and keep your body in good shape with exercise and nutrition, it will get rid of the fat for you.

The “good news” in your situation is that you have many pounds to lose. This means that you will be able to start losing weight initially FAST. Remember: The more pounds overweight you are, the easier it is to lose weight initially.

Start eating properly and exercising – you should start seeing results almost instantly. Results will fuel your desire to keep going and losing more and more weight in the process…

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

“Why Almost Everyone Is Dead Wrong About Weight Loss – Including How To Lose Up To 28 Pounds in 4 Weeks And Keep it off – Without Diet Pills or Aerobics and Without Feeling Hungry. Lose weight with this simple weight loss program

I was recently asked this question:

“How do you buy diet foods or specific suggested extremely lean meats and other foods when you are on a fixed income? Example: It is more cost effective to feed my family spaghetti or hamburger helper than it would be to buy salmon and asparagus for the entire family, just because it is better for me…”

My answer:

Eating healthily is CHEAPER than eating “normally”. If you saw what types of foods elite athletes consume (and remember that these people need to cover all their bases because they compete at extremelly high levels) you would think that they are destitute. Eggs, rice, tuna, fruits, vegetables, nuts and milk among other things. And there’s no need to buy salmon or “lobster”. Buy cheap fish. Good nutrients can be found in very cheap foods.

Not to mention that people who don’t eat healthy meals will have several expensive bills to pay sooner or later like lost days at work, surgeries for heart attacks or knee and lower back problems, self help classes because of bad self-esteem, all kinds of gimmicks and magic pills etc. I wonder how “cheap” cheap food really is…

Also, you don’t have to eat exactly what the entire family eats (I covered this question earlier). And, if you really need to buy something special for you, don’t think that you have to buy food for the entire family – focus on yourself.

You may think that this sounds “selfish” – but you need to think about it. Many people try to “help everyone around them” while they aren’t even able to take care of themselves. FOCUS on yourself and do what needs to be done so you are in good shape – physically and mentally.

Then, you will be strong and able to help your family and everyone else you like. If you ignore yourself, it won’t be long before you won’t be able to help anyone (yourself or others). I’m convinced that losing weight is a mental issue above everything else. Once people “get it”, they lose weight like crazy.

I have one last thought on the subject I need to add: Most people have no trouble spending money on sweets, junk food, cigarettes, alcohol, new fancy clothes etc. But, as soon as you tell them about doing things that will improve their health, all of a sudden they think about money. Weird.

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

“Why Almost Everyone Is Dead Wrong About Weight Loss – Including How To Lose Up To 28 Pounds in 4 Weeks And Keep it off – Without Diet Pills or Aerobics and Without Feeling Hungry. Lose weight with this simple weight loss program

I was recently asked this question:

“In a society where we are so pressed for time, finding quick meals, particularly breakfast meals that are good for you is a problem. What can I do?”

My answer:

Interesting. I have found that healthy meals are the easiest and simplest to find…

A can of tuna takes less than 30 seconds to open. Egg whites take 5 minutes to boil. Some protein powder takes only 1 minute to mix with water. Non-fat milk or soy milk takes less than 30 seconds to pour in a glass. Washing an apple and having it ready to eat takes 15 seconds. Slicing up a tomato takes less than 1 minute as well. And remember that you can still eat what you have already cooked for lunch – just try to eat more of the “good” parts and less of the “bad” parts.

Also, I’m not going to advertise any nutritional supplement companies but you may want to use a meal replacement powder (they come in packets that you can take with you wherever you go). Supplements are not necessary but I’d rather see you use them than eating junk food.

Another tip you can use is to cook an entire week’s worth of food on a day when you are not busy (say during the weekend). Then, you can put the foods in individual containers and freeze it. When you want to eat, just put the food in the microwave oven and within a few minutes you can have “normal food” that tastes good, is satisfying AND is good for you.

If you need to take a break during your work hours in order to eat, make sure that you have access to “good food”. If there are no “good” versions of food available at work, you may want to have with you some food that you will have prepared from home…

I have found that most people have no real trouble finding the time to eat properly (as I mentioned above, it’s easy when you know how). But above all, this is a matter of mental perspective. Many think that eating healthily is time-consuming or “tough”. They heard this somewhere and now they just play this tape in their heads over and over again as an excuse to never start a weight loss program.

Losing weight is like magic. A magic trick isn’t that hard to perform, if you know how. People are amazed by magic. But, if you show them how to perform it, many are going to say “oh, that was such a stupid trick – anyone can do this”.

Losing weight is the same. Most of the things needed to do it are simple and common sense. But don’t let that fool you. You can see the impact that knowing how to manage your weight has. Everybody admires someone who is “lean and mean.”

So, stop giving yourself excuses – finding healthy food to eat is EASY s long as you are willing to plan a little in advance and change your mental perspective…

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

“Why Almost Everyone Is Dead Wrong About Weight Loss – Including How To Lose Up To 28 Pounds in 4 Weeks And Keep it off – Without Diet Pills or Aerobics and Without Feeling Hungry. Lose weight with this simple weight loss program

There are many different factors that contribute to losing weight and being able to keep that weight off. Balance is an important factor in your weight loss plan. You will find people that have been successful at weight loss do not usually deprive themselves of foods that they like. The best way to deal with the situation is to have a small portion and the craving is gone.

The important thing to remember is that you need to compromise to maintain balance in your diet. If you satisfy that craving and it was high calorie or high fat, you will need to take away the fat or calories somewhere else in your diet. You could also add more exercise for the extra calories. There are options for maintaining balance in your weight loss plan.

You have a certain amount of calories that you plan on eating and you can spend them anyway you like. A calorie is a calorie and they are all going to cause you to gain or lose the same amount of weight. So the key is deciding what foods you want to spend your calories on and how many of them you want to subtract with exercise. If you look at your weight reduction plan as just numbers, it may make it a little easier for you to stay on track.

Consider these four things when you re deciding how to use your calories:

1. What healthy foods do you like? Think about what foods you really like, that are healthy. Can you work these into your diet more often, making it less tempting to indulge on something that is not as healthy and higher in calories?
2. What are your favorite foods that you do not wish to give up? Make a list of foods that you really like and that you do not feel you can live without. The best thing to do with these kinds of foods is to buy them in a single serving or to eat them out in single servings. So, if you like cookie dough ice cream it is not in your best interest to buy it by the gallon and keep it in your freezer.
3. What foods can you not be around? It is best to keep all food, which you have no control over, out of your home. It is best to avoid these foods completely as much as possible.
4. What foods can you give up and not miss? If there are high calorie foods that do not have much nutritional value and you do not mind not having them, give them up. Doing this will only benefit you in the end.
If you are able to put these four simple concepts into practice you will be able to balance the foods you enjoy and still be able to lose weight successfully. Give these principles a try and you may find it easier to stay within your weight loss program guidelines.

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

Marjorie Salada is the owner of Weight Loss 3000, a website that contains information on weight loss, exercise, weight loss surgery and living a healthy lifestyle.

Many weight loss diets have been introduced in the market in the attempt to resolve the growing problem with obesity or being overweight.

They are appealing to the public because of said great benefits you can take like losing weight in a couple of weeks without doing exercises.

However, they may involve some process which your body is not capable of doing such as cutting off carbohydrates, sugar or fat intake. It is important that you know what these weight loss diets do to your body before you even try them.

Below are the pros and cons of some weight loss diets:

Atkins diet

This diet involves eating foods with high protein and fat while lowering your carbohydrates intake.

The people who likes to eat foods that are high in protein and have been unsuccessful to low-fat and high-carbohydrates program, will mostly benefit from this plan. The system does not require counting of calorie intake and has simpler meal plans so it is easy to follow.

However, the drawback of this diet is having future health problems such as heart disease, kidney problems, cholesterol level irregularities or cancer.

These are caused by having too much fat and low carbohydrate (where you may get the needed minerals and vitamins to stay healthy)

The Carbohydrates Addict’s diet

This is a low-carbohydrate eating plan where a person should eat foods with low carbohydrates but having one reward meal in a day.

The person has more liberty in choosing the food to eat (as compared to an Atkin’s dieter). And high water intake is recommended on this diet.

But one pitfall is that a person may divert to having high fat and protein intake to compensate the reduced carbohydrate. If that is the case, it will have similar disadvantages with an Atkin’s diet.

The Pritikin diet

Vegetables, grains (high in fiber) and fruits are essential part of the pritikin diet because it encourages the dieter to have low- fat and high-carbohydrate intake.

Eating foods that are low in calorie will help in weight reduction. This plan has a great advantage of having a balanced meal and selecting from different menu.

However, a dieter may sometime find it hard to stick with the diet plan when eating outside the comfort of their home.

South Beach Diet

This diet is not really a low carbohydrate diet but rather balancing the good and bad carbohydrate intake. It includes variety of food such as fish, grains, chicken and vegetables.

Then, a specific meal is followed per diet phase. This is a nutritious diet which makes it beneficial for a dieter. However, nutritious foods may be expensive.

These weight loss diets may give you instant solution to your obesity problem. However, it may be difficult to make it a lifestyle, specifically the recommended meal plan. Some people may find it hard to stick with the diet on a long term process.

Some may experience the health problems brought about by these weight loss diets. It is recommended that you consult your doctor so you can decide properly if a weight loss diet is good for you or which one is appropriate for you.

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in Dieting. For more information regarding Weight Loss Diets please drop by at www.loseweightcontrol.com/

People tend to get confused with all the different choices they have…

There are practically thousands of “allowed” foods they can eat in order to lose weight – and this can be ovewhelming…

If you want to know which foods to focus on in order to avoid confusion and information overload, then keep reading this article.

Here are the types of foods you can focus on in order to lose weight (fat) and keep it off:

1) Water. I’m not sure if this can be classified as “food”, but it’s undoubtedly the most neglected part of most people’s diets. Our bodies are about 75% water. Yet, in America almost NOBODY drinks enough water (pretty much the same goes for the rest of the world). Drinking a glass of water 30 minutes before eating, will help you feel “fuller” – and you won’t feel the urge to eat as much when the time comes. How do you know that you drink enough? Ideally, you should go to the toilet several times a day and what “comes out” should be crystal clear as water. Not a very subtle way to make sure that you are on track – but it’s extremely accurate.

2) Vegetables: They may not be the “sexiest” type of food, but let me tell you why focusing on them can help you lose weight. First of all, they contain very few calories. Vegetables are mainly “made” of water. For their volume (the space they take up), they have ridiculously low calories. For example, eating 3 carrots can help satisfy your hunger without adding all that many calories to your daily intake.

As if that weren’t enough, vegetables have a very interesting effect on the human body as far as the “Thermic effect of food” goes. For example, they may contain 100 calories but they actually require 130 calories from your body in order to be digested and assimilated. So, in essence you just lost 30 calories just by eating them.

Mind you, a diet comprised exclusively from vegetables is unhealthy. You still need protein – and vegetables don’t contain any. But consuming several pieces of vegetables a day will help you stay on track and lose weight faster. And speaking of protein…

3) Protein. This is the nutrient with the highest thermic value. It requires the most calories to digest and is the nutrient that is the most difficult for your body to turn into fat. Eat several meals containing protein throughout the day. Chicken, turkey, tuna and egg whites are all fair game…

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

“Why Almost Everyone Is Dead Wrong About Weight Loss – Including How To Lose Up To 28 Pounds in 4 Weeks And Keep it off – Without Diet Pills or Aerobics and Without Feeling Hungry. Lose weight with this simple weight loss program