Keeping a Weight Loss Diary

Having run a slimming club for 2 years - I became very aware of the number of people who were constantly surprised that they had failed to lose weight. When I questioned them about what they had eaten over a 2/3 day period I began to realise that most people have very short memories and can easily and conveniently forget about the odd biscuit here and there and the mug of hot chocolate they had before they went to bed. It is these snacks and occasional drinks that make it very difficult to successfully lose weight.
When I eventually trained as a nutritionist and started to help people on an individual basis to lose weight I would always insist that part of the weight loss program should be to keep a diary of all the food and drink consumed each day. As a weight loss coach this was valuable information. If a client had failed to lose weight, I was able to see immediately what the problem was.
The reasons for lack of weight loss are not always about the odd biscuit or hot chocolate. Sometimes it can be due to insufficient protein at each of the meals or maybe even not eating often enough or not eating enough at each meal. All of this things are important for a healthy and successful weight loss.
If you are just thinking about starting a weight loss regime it is also a good idea to start your food diary now. Very often this can be the spur that is needed. Once you see how bad your diet is you will soon start to make the necessary changes to help you to lose weight

Overcoming Childhood Obesity

An article in the Washington Post on February 20th 2009, reports that a new initiative has been unveiled to help childhood obesity. The initiative, which is spearheaded by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, is designed to give children better access to health care to help fight obesity. The children concerned will have a 4 visits to a dietician and 4 visits to a doctor paid for by participating insurance companies. The hope is that these sessions will help by giving them advise on healthy eating enabling them to lose weight.

Health Ranger Mike Adams voices concerns that dieticians do not have the necessary training to help these children. He comments that many of them do not appreciate that there is a nutritional difference between raw and cooked foods and therefore is skeptical about the value of the help they may be able to give

Whilst it is clear that the parents of obese children need educating in the understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet, there is understandable concern about who, if anyone, is eligible to ensure that the parents get good, sound advice from somebody who really knows what they are talking about. Tho whole family needs to be prepared to make dietary changes if the child is to follow a successful weight loss regime

Very often the best person to advise on a health issue of any kind is somebody who has suffered that complaint themselves and has found a natural healthy way to solve it

I recently read a review of an ebook called "Overcoming Childhood Obesity" by Julia Pearce. Julia was herself an overweight child and experienced the humiliation of being taunted and teased about her weight. This book covers:-

• The causes and symptoms of childhood obesity
• The impact obesity can have on children
• What you can do specifically to help your child overcome their obesity and lose weight
  
• How to introduce better eating habits
• How to get your child interested in exercise
• Plus, how to help your child keep the weight off for good and much, much more!

Commenting on her book, Julia says

"This is the guide I wish my parents had access to when I was growing up - Things would have been so much easier for me."

If you have a child who is overweight why not help them to lose weight now and ensure that they don't become an obese adult with potentially life threatening health problems.

Type 2 Diabetes Linked to Obesity

According to an article printed today in Sky News the cases of Diabetes in the UK have "jumped 60% in a decade"

The article goes on to say that newly released figures found that obesity was fuelling the soaring rates and that the increases in the UK were currently higher than in the US. The research was led by experts from Spain and Sweden and has been published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

Douglas Smallwood the chief executive of Diabetes UK commented that the research was a "sad indictment" of the current state of the UK's health. He urged people to be more aware of the importance of eating a healthy well balanced diet and the the need for regular exercise.

Well, unfortunately, as with most things in this day and age, we have to reach crisis point before anybody is prepared to listen and make the necessary changes. This isn't just about diabetes, although clearly this is a massive area for concern, it is about our health in general and our inability to understand the finer points of how our bodies work and what they need in order to work optimally and to be fit and healthy. Too many people are living their lives thinking they have to "put up" with poor health, especially as they get older. This just isn't the case. However it is important to take control of your life and your health now so that you don't find yourself too far down the slippery slope before you decide to do anything about it. Prevention is much easier than cure by a long way!

If you are overweight then it is time to find a suitable weight loss diet now. Don't play Russian Roulette with your health. The same applies to those people who may think they are lucky because they don't put weight on no matter what they eat. They are no exception when it comes to a long and healthy life. A healthy well balanced diet is a must for all of us.

A healthy weight loss diet is not something to be feared. It is something to be embraced. Do your research and find out what constitutes a well balanced diet and start to make small but significant changes to your diet.

Some Weight Loss Programs Just Don't Work

The majority of highly promoted weight loss programs just don’t work. Many of these programs are at best disappointing and at worst making fraudulent claims. The side effects of some of these programs can cause untold damage to your health.

There are several “weight loss pills” available over the counter that promise miraculous results. However it is important to be wary of the side effects of these pills.

• Appetite Suppressants are intended to reduce your hunger and make you eat less. However it is important to be aware of the effects this might have on your body. Reducing your appetite means you will inevitably be cutting back on your calorific intake. This can actually slow down the fat burning process, as the body goes into starvation mode and slows the metabolism in response. When you start to eat normally again your body will forget to readjust the metabolism and you end up gaining more weight than you originally lost.

• Starch, fat or carbohydrate blockers. Taking these types of weight loss pills serves only to lie to your body, as they send the message that it is ok to eat all sorts of fattening foods like pastries and pizzas. The pills are intended to block the absorption of any fat, which does little to encourage the dieter to find a healthy diet for the future. These pills are also known to cause unpleasant side effects such as diarrhea and headaches. Weight loss is only likely to be sustained if good eating habits are established

• The metabolism booster sometimes called a thermogenic pill can be extremely dangerous. It is a very strong stimulant that can put undue pressure on the heart as well causing energy swings and possible insomnia.

At the end of the day it is important to remember that healthy weight loss is about finding a diet for life. If you have put on weight in the past then it is highly likely that you have been eating foods that are not providing you with a healthy well balanced diet that suits your body type. Once you find a diet that is right for you weight loss will be a thing of the past

5 Reasons to lose body fat NOW

Most of us are very good at putting things off until tomorrow. We are also prone to putting off the inevitable .."until Christmas is over".... "until we have been on holiday"..." until we have been to that celebration party" etc etc. What we are doing here is procrastinating. Putting something off that we really don't want to do. Is that ringing any bells. It certainly is for me.

I am sure it won't surprise you to know that weight loss fits perfectly into that category. What we need to remember is that "tomorrow never comes". So 2 0r 3 months or even years down the road, nothing has changed. We are still waiting for the perfect moment.

Of course, as with most things, fear is our biggest enemy. We are afraid that we won't be able to stick to our new weight loss regime, or that losing body fat will be too difficult, or maybe we are concerned that our friends will make fun of us etc etc.

At the end of the day, as with all things in life, we have to take control of our own lives and take responsibility for the way we behave and the subsequent consequences.

Here are 5 reasons why you should not put off your weight loss program until tomorrow if you can do it today.

1. We are living longer than ever before, which is a wonderful fact of life, IF and only IF we have good health in our 3rd age. If you are overweight your chances of good health when you are older are virtually nil
2. Being overweight means you are not eating the right foods for your body type. If you were you wouldn't be overweight. Don't allow yourself to succumb to food related illnesses because of an inappropriate diet
3. There is a strong link between obesity and depression. This can be due to the fact that your body is deficient in health promoting foods. These same foods will help you to lose weight
4. Most of us lead very stressful lives. Being overweight is an unbelievable physical stress on our bodies. Stress can lead to many illnesses due to the way in which the body responds. A good weight loss diet and exercise regime will go a long way to improve this situation
5. Being overweight will often result in tiredness and lethargy. If you lose weight you will notice a real improvement in your energy levels. The right fuel (food) in the correct proportions can do wonders for our energy levels

Health is not something to be taken for granted. Strip that body fat now and feel the benefits immediately

Find a weight loss diet plan that appeals to you

Losing weight is notoriously difficult, but it is worth persevering because it can have a profound effect o health. Losing weight can help to lower blood pressure and get cholesterol under control, as well as alleviating the strain on arthritic joints.

For weight loss to be successful it is probably best to approach it as a long term change in lifestyle rather than a short term goal. One of the most important aspects of any weight loss regime is to find a diet plan that suits you and that appeals to you. It is vital that you choose a program that you can stick with long term.

Keep a dietary diary. Write down everything you put in your mouth and more importantly how you felt after that meal or snack. Did it sustain you? Did you have any sugar cravings within 2 hours after the meal? This sort of information will help you to find out which foods are best for you and which foods you can successfully include in your weight loss diet plan.

Remember to eat a high protein breakfast that will sustain you until lunchtime.

If you need to eat snacks between meals try to stick to almonds, peanut butter or a ripe avocado. All of these foods contain mono unsaturated fats (MUFA's) that will actually help you to lose weight.

Weight Loss Secrets Revealed

So many people struggle to lose weight that there is no wonder that so much is written about weight loss secrets. The problem is that suggesting in the first place that there is a weight loss secret implies that it is a secret ingredient that holds true for everybody. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is what makes the whole business of weight loss so difficult. There is not one secret that will answer everybody's problem.

It is possible however that many people have the same problem that is preventing them from losing weight, but this is where personal responsibility kicks in. It is up to each and everyone of us to get to know our own bodies.

We need to know:-

• Which foods suit us and which don't.
  
• Do we have an underlying blood sugar problem?
• Is depression affecting our ability to lose weight?
• Do we have a parasite infestation that is causing us to put weight on?
• Are we so stressed out that our adrenal glands are no longer functioning correctly?
• Do we have sufficient Hydrochloric Acid to digest the protein we are eating?

These are just a few of the issues that may be causing us to put weight on in the first place and then find it difficult to lose weight. But it is up to each and every one of us to find out the hidden weight loss secrets for our own bodies. All the experts can do is suggest the possible problems and the rest is up to us.

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