The Sudden Shock

Its every guy’s nightmare, you step out the shower one Saturday morning and look in the mirror, and there it is, the jelly belly. It’s at that point you realize, you don’t play ball in the yard any more, now the kids just want to go to the mall, and play a different type of game with the girls, rather than play ball with dad. You start to think about those late nights with the lads drinking the cold beers, and those unnecessary stops for burgers and fries on the way home, and now you’re paying the price, with belly fat. There is one comforting fact if you can call it that, you are not alone, because at present around 40% of the population in the US, suffer from belly fat. Luckily we are living in what many are calling the information age, and therefore we don’t need to look far, to get the help we need in dietary matters, and most things regarding our general good health.

The Results Are In

Now don’t be one of those guys who say’s “wow how did this happen” because nobody goes to bed on a Friday, with a fit athletic body, then wakes on Saturday morning with a jelly belly. We all know this is not something that happens overnight, but it can creep up on us slowly. When we have young families you are always chasing around, playing with the kids, and burning off all those calories, but slowly things change and the chasing becomes walking, or worse, on the couch watching a ball game, often with a cold beer, and now you’re just adding calories. Since all the fast food chains have sprung up, we seem to have social eating. How many times have you met up with friends at a fast food joint, and had a burger and fries, with a coke or shake, when you’ve not even been hungry, and don’t say never because we all have at some time. Also with today’s busy schedules, it’s so much easier to eat on the go, than to be at home and prepare a proper healthy meal. So there we have it; bad diet + lack of exercise = belly fat, but saying that there are some people with thyroid, and other medical conditions which effect the metabolism and cause weight gain.

How we lose it

The bad news here is, exercise alone will not get rid of your belly fat, or abdominal obesity as it is sometimes called, but you need to do something about it as it poses a real health hazard. Exercises that strengthen your abdominal muscles will make you feel better and make you look trimmer, but you need to do more. The key is a balanced healthy diet, with regular exercise, and to start with that could be up to an hour per day, to start breaking that fat down. It doesn’t need to be anything extreme, brisk walking; swimming and cycling are all good, or you could do a mix of all three. Now it’s not all bad news, here is a bit of very good news, when you start dieting and exercising, the first thing to start to go is belly fat, and that works the same with most people.

Crunch That Belly

If you really want to lose that belly you have got to work those abdominal muscles. Again it doesn’t need to be anything extreme, if you were to do twenty-five sit-up’s as soon as you get up in the morning, and again last thing at night, which would be a great start. You can also develop strong abdominal muscle by, sucking in your stomach, fully exhaling while trying to suck in even harder, and holding for ten seconds. This works just as well if you are standing or on the floor on your hands and knees. There is a pelvic exercise which works well on abdominal muscles; Lie on your back with your knees bent. Tighten your abdominal muscles and bend your pelvis up slightly. Hold for five to 10 seconds. Repeat ten times. Once you start to see the results it’s easy to motivate yourself to continue and really get back in shape. If you want some diet tips take a look here; http://www.theweightlosspath.com/category/diets/

Even through the recent global recession there has been an industry that since 2009 has had an annual growth rate of 10.9% and looks to grow even faster in the future, and this is not an industry built on success as you would think, no this is an industry built on failure. You are probably wondering how can an industry be built on failure, and still have such a healthy growth rate, well it’s easy when you realize it’s the Diet and Weight-loss Industry. It is expected that by 2014 the annual Global Market for Weight Loss will be worth US$586.3 Billion, that’s not a miss-print US$586.3 Billion. This industry has a magic number that helps to generate their expansion, and that number is 95. The magic number is a percentage number, 95% of people who diet and lose weight, will put the weight back on, and often get even heavier than before, then go on a diet again. This weight loss then gain, is know as yo-yoing, and the industry counts on it. With any market that is this valuable you are always going to find some borderline unscrupulous practices. One of the most popular are the free trials where you just have to pay a small charge for the post and packaging on your debit or credit card. WARNING if you come across one of these offers, it will usually be for two different types of tablets, for some super weight loss system as used by the celebrities. You MUST find and check out the TERMS AND CONDITIONS, it will usually be at the bottom of the page where you order the sample, in small print. You will normally find that unless you cancel your free trial within fourteen days from the ordering date, you will be charged the full amount for each sample, which can be as high as US$150+, so much for the free trial.

The reason that the diet industry is worth so much money is because, most people want a quick fix to their excess weight problems, and are happy to pay for it. Diets seem to change as fast as the seasons, what is the diet to be on in the winter, has almost drifted into oblivion by the spring, when the next best diet to be on has surfaced. Interspersed with the various diets are the must have fat melting pills, which will strip away all your unwanted weight in the next month. Some dieter’s are still looking for that magic button, which will melt away all the excess fat overnight, with no personal effort. If that even was possible, it might work if you only needed to lose a few pounds, if you need to lose a few stones, you have to lose it gradually to allow your surplus skin time to shrink.

There are no magic buttons, pills, or potions, required for you to lose weight, I will say that again, you don’t need any magic, pills, or potions, for you to lose weight. Do you want some more good news, you don’t need to spend any money on diet systems, not a penny. What you do need is a healthy well balanced meal plan, and your excess weight will start to melt away, but it won’t happen overnight. The US and UK governments, spend a lot of time and money, to provide us with free information to keep us fit and healthy, and that includes eating plans to cover every situation. I had been doing research for another article, when I found how good celery is for us, but I couldn’t eat it without gagging, until I came across a recipe for celery soup, on a UK NHS site, now it’s one of my favourite soups. Healthy eating does not need to be boring, you just need to find a plan that suits you, and I have included a selection of FREE UK and US sites, to help you do just that.

UK Sites

http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/loseweight/Pages/Loseweighthome.aspx

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/loseweight.htm

http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/diet_meal_plans/7_day_diet_meal_plan_to_lose_weight_1200_calories

US Sites

http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Health/Food.shtml

http://www.nutrition.gov/

http://www.health.gov/

     The Good and The Very Bad

We are fast approaching that time when we make our resolutions for the coming year, and we find ourselves at midnight on December 31st full of good intentions, and ready to face whatever life will thrown at us in the coming year. But so often by the 2nd or 3rd of January the resolutions have been broken and the good intentions seem to melt into that distant haze, there to remain for another year. It is for that reason, if you are going to make a serious change in your life get the festivities out of the way first, and then make that serious commitment to yourself. One of the most popular resolutions these days has to be “I am going to give up smoking” and when you look at the picture supporting this post it really is a no brainer.

I am no doctor or healthcare worker, but I have been a very heavy smoker at various times in my life, and I know exactly how addictive nicotine can be. I have given up smoking twice, the first time I stopped for just over six years, and the second time, well I haven’t smoked since. The first time I stopped was because I wanted too, basically I just got fed up with smoking, the coughing in the morning, and constantly smelling like an ashtray, so it was relatively easy. The last time I was told by my doctor to stop, this she assured me would be easy as I was going to be prescribed Nicotine Patches, and what a disaster they turned out to be. If you are using the Nicotine Patches and you have a cigarette you get this supercharged nicotine rush, and that’s the last thing you need if you want to quit. The problem with all these aids is that you still associate  them with smoking, and the non smoking industry know that, and that’s why they can afford to spend millions on advertising this time of year, because they know they are going to make a fortune, selling their various pills, patches and potions.

There is another way, which costs nothing to use and is extremely effective, it worked with me the first time I used it, and the same with several of my friends and colleagues. This is a system that actually programs your brain and body too not smoke, and there is nothing to be associated with smoking when you stop. You need at least ten days but fourteen is better for the system to be most effective. The first step is to set the date you are going to stop smoking, this wants to be at least ten days, but it could be twenty one days if you wanted, the longer it is the more you are conditioned to stop. Step two, is to take a sheet of paper and write ” I (your name e.g. John Smith) am going to stop smoking on (date you set e.g. January 9th 2014) and I will not smoke again.” Step three, every day up to the day you have set to stop smoking you copy what you have written, directly under the previous line, this then starts to work as an affirmation instructing the brain that you wish to stop smoking on the set date. On the day before you stop, make sure you finish all you cigarettes, put away ashtrays, lighters and any other smoking paraphernalia. When the big day comes you just don’t smoke, you are bound to get a few moments when you fancy a smoke, but you just resist and it soon passes, because you are now a non-smoker. A close friend of mine had tried patches, different types of gum, and even one of the electronic cigarettes, all without much success, she then tried this method and hasn’t smoked since, that now is about twenty months ago.

Sometimes the worst thing is the actual fear of stopping, I know that I was very concerned about how I would cope without smoking, but it doesn’t take very long before you feel so much better, food tastes better, and you start to feel cleaner inside. Anybody trying this method who needs some extra support can email: theweightlosspath@gmail.com and we will make every effort to support and help.

Autumn Thoughts

I apologize for the delay with this post, but I had an article prepared about how nice it is to get out walking this time of year with all the rich autumn colours, and how to keep our weight loss going through the autumn and winter months, but then something happened. I was at my local hospital on a follow-up appointment when I got talking to this guy; it was obvious he had a serious weight problem, and I started telling him about this site and how it had helped me, then we were called in for our separate appointments, but we ended up leaving at the same time and continued our conversation over a cup of coffee.

He was in his late sixties, very easy to talk to, and only too willing to tell me what an unfair life he had led. He seemed to give me his whole life story, starting with his failed marriage after only a short period of time, because women are totally unreasonable, and lack any sort of understanding of men in general, and he was the innocent party. His working life wasn’t much better; he never reached his true potential because his manager had it in for him, and never gave him the promotions that he really deserved, but it was nothing that he had done to cause it. We then got into talking about his weight gain, which is something I am always interested in as it gives me more information for this site. I was quite surprised at what he told me, he firstly blamed the fact that a McDonalds opened very close to him, and they don’t make it clear that if you drink too many shakes, and eat too many burgers and chips it can cause you to put on weight. He then went on to say what made it worse was when a pizza shop opened opposite  the top of his road, only a few houses away, and he kept getting leaflets through his door advertising these pizza’s, again it was obvious it was not his fault he kept eating pizza’s.

Apart from his weight problem, and his type two diabetes, he had a serious liver condition, caused by alcohol, but again this was not his fault, this was down to a discount off-license opening at the corner of his road, only four doors away, so how could you resist. Sadly since our talk his liver finally let him down, but he didn’t even listen to his doctors when they told him he had to stop drinking, he actually told me that they could easily be wrong, and he would give up for nothing. One thing that did come across was that he was bitter at the way his life had panned out, because it was not his fault.

I know I have had things go badly wrong at times in my life, but it has always been down to bad decisions that I have made, and as such you have to take responsibility for your own mistakes. There is a growing line of thought these days, that when things go wrong it must be somebody or something else’s fault and definitely not ours, its fast becoming a ridiculous blame culture. When we are children there is someone there to make decisions for us, but when we are adults and of sound mind, we should all take responsibility for our own decisions and actions. I think a good Autumn Thought should be for us all to think about what it really means to take responsibility for our own lives, there is also an up side, because then not only are we responsible for the bad, but also all the good things that work out really well….

When it comes to the food pyramid, there is quite a degree of information that you need to get. For instance, did you know that the first food guide was introduced in 1916 for small kids? Thereon after it developed into something different. The most basic fThe New Food Pyramid consists of milk, meats, breads, and fruits and also vegetables. Yet subsequently as the years went by, there has been a change in the evolution of the food pyramid. In 1994, the USDA after taking careful consideration of all dietary requirements came up with a food pyramid that has also once again changed in recent times.

Still the “food pyramid” from 1956 right up to 1992 consisted of four layers. From top to bottom it was meats, poultry, fish, dry beans and peas, eggs, and nuts; then dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt; then grains and wheat products and fruits and vegetables. It was after this point that a proper food pyramid came into being. It will come as no surprise that there have been many people who offer their own version of a food pyramid. For instance, the Harvard School of Public Health offers the Healthy eating pyramid, that includes calcium and multi-vitamins and small amounts of alcohol too.

Another food pyramid would be one that is offered by the University of Michigan. It states that its Healing Foods Pyramid proposes plant-based choices, variety and balance. There are also sections which include seasonings and water as well as a good degree of healthy fats. Ideally based on the current food pyramid, what you should be avoiding are sweets and oils which do have a tendency to help you get overweight. With America and a lot of Europe facing a terrible time thanks to fast food joints and its every growing popularity, what you should be doing is to curb on these excessive eating habits.

The New Food Pyramid

Finally, just ensure that you read up as much as you can on all types of information pertaining to food and its benefits. The fact of the matter is that while there are many article resources that are sure to help you in understanding what food is all about, you will enjoy also reading up on the many conflicting articles that challenge the conventional pyramids. All in all, just ensure that what you do read is something that is written with an objective mindset. There will be many proponents of various ideas and their thoughts may be great, yet it is best to always go with medical advice especially if you are suffering from something like diabetes.

Nothing is worth putting your health at risk, since this could lead to bad repercussions at the end of the day, so to stay fit and healthy look to all of the food groups, especially the fruits, vegetables, and nuts, and give yourself a proper healthy well balanced diet.

Foods for a Balanced Diet

Let’s face it, most of us who care about how we look have considered dieting more than once, and some of you might have tried all sorts of diets, but might not have gotten the results you expected. Dieting is as much about looking good as it is about, or even more, to stay fit; so we need to find a diet that cuts off the excessive calories and keeps you nourished and energized at the same time, and so begins the hunt for diets that work.

Having over 60 percent of its citizens who are or above 20 years of age suffering from being overweight, the United States has its own sub culture attached to dieting. With the media that are constantly flooded with people who don’t even seem to have an ounce of fat on them and TV shows such as ‘The Biggest Loser’, people are driven to find diets that work for them. The American citizen spends roughly around 48 billion dollars a year on dieting, trying to find diets that work; and most end up in failure, with the guilt of being overweight still remaining.

If one is to ask the reason for the failure in finding diets that work, the answer would be depending on several variables. However the number one factor in most of the cases is that people don’t always stick to their diet, they drift off track and eat that juicy steak or cheeseburger that is practically oozing with calories. Another reason for not being able to find diets that work is the life style we are engaged in; it is virtually impossible to lose weight just by dieting, therefore we need to find a diet that is in par with the amount of exercise we can do and the amount of calories we burn on an average day. And the other most common scenario that happens to people who are going after diets is that those diets aren’t practically applicable to them, and therefore after a few weeks they abandon the diet half way through, leaving the hunt for diets that work, still open for them.

When you are looking for diets that work, keep in mind that there is a huge market with relation to dieting, with various diets popping up every day. Be very careful not get lured into those diets that seem too good to be true, and always think whether this particular diet would work for you with the time, money and will power you have; and you will be able to find diets that work for you.

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A question that I think you really need to ask yourself is this, why do I need to purchase some diet plan, is it the fact that you are paying for it that gives you the driving force to stick with it. When you consider the amount of money some spend on dieting, looking for that magic formula that will lose that excess fat in record time, but only end up back at the same weight or even heavier. Some do have medical problems that cause them to gain weight, and then find it almost impossible to lose or even control the weight gains, but in reality that is a very small percentage. The cure for most of us is a very simple formula, eat less do more, that’s it, now I know it’s not that simple with our fast moving lifestyles these days, when we want food we want it now, hence all the fast food chains, and saturated fats, and overweight population. The one thing you need to realize now is that there is no magic pill or potion or diet, that is going to make you slim again by next Thursday, its taken time to put the weight on and it needs time to take it off. The easiest way to lose weight is with a sensible balanced diet cooked at home, cut back on sugary fizzy drinks and replace with water, plus use normal size portions, and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, cutting down on red and fatty meat, and no skin on chicken, and you will lose weight, add a little exercise and your really on the right path. As for the time you think you will lose by cooking, it is more than made up by you being healthier, fitter and getting more done anyway, so give it a try, the diet that works for you could be the free, and simple one called common sense, good luck with whatever your choice is, I just hope its one of the diets that work for you.

Walking to Lose Weight

Ever wondered why the number of people suffering from obesity has sky rocketed during the last few decades? Although there are several reasons for this like the unhealthy lifestyle most of us are engaged in, and the amount of junk food we eat regularly, one thing stands out from the rest and that is, we spend less physical energy on our day to day chores. With the development of technology, humans have very little need to do any work at all when it comes to getting physical; but now people have started to go back to the basics to find ways to rid them of their curse of being overweight, and one way to do that is walking to lose weight.

During the recent years walking to lose weight has become a very popular concept among many people. This notion of walking to lose weight is practiced by many because of a few main factors; it is fun, easy, very effective, and you don’t need special equipment or a physical trainer to do that. Walking is a very effective exercise not only for your body, but also for your mind. In order to lose weight one must engage mainly in cardio exercises, which are exercises that would increase your heartbeat and burn calories faster. Jogging is on top of the most effective cardio workouts, but jogging can be a bit hard on you if you are on pavements or hard ground, and someone who is overweight, and especially if you are not so young, as it puts a lot of strain on your knees and ankles. This is another reason why people stick to walking to lose weight; because walking burns close to the same amount of calories as jogging does. Another plus point about walking to lose weight is that it increases your metabolism; this enables you to keep burning calories even after you have stopped; after a brief walk of about two miles one can keep you burning calories for almost half a day.

Walking is fun, so enjoy it and don’t try to overdo it, move at your own pace and you’ll be walking to lose weight in no time, and if you have a nice park you can enjoy your surroundings while doing it. The benefits are truly surprising, just half an hour a day, really can help you work rest and play, it clears your head so you can think and work easier, you have more energy to play with, and it also aids a sound nights sleep, and that’s win, win, win.

Job Done

The Mayo Clinic Diet has nothing to do with the Mayo Clinic Health center and hospital in Rochester, Massachusetts, USA. The Mayo Clinic diet was created between thirty and seventy years ago, and the origins of the Mayo Clinic diet are still unknown. The Mayo Clinic diet has been perpetuated by junk mail, word of mouth, faxes, and the internet – and while there is no ‘official’ Mayo Clinic Diet, most versions are high in protein and fat.

The Mayo Clinic in no way endorses the use of the diet. The diet’s main characteristic is the consumption of a grapefruit with every meal, and is usually very high in protein and low in carbohydrates. The body absorbs protein and fats much more quickly than carbohydrates, so proponents of the diet use this knowledge to help shed unwanted pounds quickly with little exercise necessary.

The Mayo Clinic diet uses grapefruit with each meal in the day to encourage your body to burn fat. It also subscribes to the theory that a low carb diet plan will result in quick weight loss; therefore there are few carbs in the Mayo Clinic Diet, lots of protein, and a grapefruit (or portion of one) with each meal in the day.

This diet is usually done over a three to seven day period. In this diet, you are allowed to eat an unlimited amount of grapefruit and meat. The diet utilizes meat and fats to stop hunger, and at the same time insists that eating more far in your diet results in weight loss. The premise is to eat fat until you feel full, which results in a smaller appetite and weight loss. The interesting thing about this diet is it allows you to eat as much fried foods as you desire – which goes completely against what nutritionists have told us for years.

There are many people that swear by this diet and they love it because you can eat until you’re satisfied, you can eat fatty and fried foods, it’s affordable, and it results in immediate weight loss. However, doctors and nutritionists that warn against the diet cite the facts that it doesn’t work for long term weight management, it’s low in complex carbs, it can result in fatigue and lack of concentration, and the high amount of fat allowed in the diet is actually rather dangerous. Before beginning this (or any other) diet, make sure you consult your physician to see if it’s right for you.

As with many other fly by night diets, this diet promotes temporary and quick weight loss – but it’s not necessarily safe or nutritional. Because of the nature of the program, many experts believe the diet does not contribute to long term success of weight loss. Also, many experts find the diets claim that you can shed up to fifty two pounds in just a few months a highly exaggerated and dangerous claim. The Mayo Clinic diet, while it sounds good in theory, is just an unsafe way to quickly lose weight.

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I sometimes find it hard to understand the modern obsession with rapid weight loss because of the consequences that this can cause. My own healthy weight range for my height is between 140 and 189lbs according to the current charts, but at 140lbs I would look totally anorexic, and could not possibly be healthy, but just over seven months ago my weight was 350lbs, (which I covered in my post Getting Started: First Steps. if you haven’t seen it yet I think it’s worth a read) and the best way it put me 161lbs over weight. Now the point I want to make is, if you lose vast amounts of weight really fast what happens to your skin, especially as we get older because your not giving it a chance to shrink back with you, and your left with loose hanging folds of skin, which wont do much for anyone’s self image. Since I started my exercise and weight loss program in January I have lost nearly 50lbs but I have no problem with loose skin, as it is steady weight loss, and I always keep myself well hydrated, by drinking plenty of water. I was with a small group of people a couple of weeks back, and we all have well over a 100lbs still to lose, and I asked this question,” If someone offered you a pill that would dissolve all your excess fat overnight would you take it” They all said yes except for one who said “would it also shrink the surplus skin” none of the others had even given it a thought.