Comfort Food: Understanding Why We Eat
Comfort Food: Understanding Why We Eat
In the quest for weight loss, the diet industry puts a lot of attention on what we eat but focusing on why we eat may be more important.
After losing over 70 lbs. permanently and becoming a weight loss coach for others, I’ve found most people have a pretty good idea of what they should eat. We have no problem categorizing foods into healthy and non-healthy lists. But ask someone why they eat and the usual response is “hunger.” Unraveling the deeper reasons beneath the pre-emptive response of “hunger” may take a little detective work!
Here are a few things that might be lurking beneath the surface of hunger. Keep in mind that the categories can overlap and coexist!
Learned Behavior
Some people learn behaviors at an early age and never question them. A good example is milk and cookies at bedtime or a larger-than-usual meal on Sunday nights. We rarely think about Learned Behaviors, we simply do them unconsciously. However, the calories still count!
Availability of Food
Imagine you ate a satisfying breakfast. You don’t feel hungry at all. Then, someone brings donuts to work. Imagine further that you don’t even like the type of donuts that appeared! How many times would you eat them anyway? Nine out of 10 times? Availability of Food can be a real quagmire along the weight loss route, especially in the United States where food is abundant and relatively inexpensive.
Other examples of Availability of Food are all-you-can-eat buffets and social occasions.
Cravings
Cravings for food are chemical. For example, when the brain needs serotonin, the brain causes carbohydrate cravings. When blood sugar levels are low, we may crave sugary or sweet foods. When we experience cravings, eating what we crave will satisfy the body for a very short time, then the craving will return full force. Protein is actually a better choice when intense desire occurs because it will break the craving cycle.
Emotional Eating
Food can dilute, soften or dull emotions we term “unpleasant” like anger, resentment, frustration, guilt and hatred. Even emotions we label “desirable” can be so intense, food may be used to dull the feeling back into a manageable or tolerable level. Prime emotions for this type of eating are joy, happiness, desire, elation and excitement.
At other times, we may eat to substitute for a lack of feeling. A good example of this is boredom. Eating when you are bored can bring on feelings of self-hatred, humiliation, and shame, but the bored, empty feeling is gone!
Habits
A habit is a stable behavior formed through repetition over time. Many people ask how this is different than Learned Behavior. The difference is that Learned Behaviors are learned from other people, usually family, and have a long history. We are solely responsible for forming Habits. The good news is that good habits are as easily formed as bad habits.
Social Eating
It is rare to socialize in any way today in America without the involvement of food. Watching a football game at a neighbor’s house, meeting friends you haven’t seen for a while: these things don’t need the involvement of food but it usually becomes an integral part of any social plan. This often intersects with Availability of Food. It might be wise to ask yourself if you are really hungry or just eating because it seems the acceptable and expected thing to do.
Environmental Eating
Does a visit to the ball park always mean hot dogs? Does a movie have to include 2000 calories of popcorn? Certain environments trigger eating that is unhealthy. Sometimes it can be any environment that is not home. For instance, do you always eat more than necessary when dining in a restaurant?
Hunger
Hunger, true hunger, is another reason to eat. And, ideally, it’s the only reason. Humans were designed to eat to fuel their bodies. Fuel to survive. Fuel for the massive amounts of maintenance, healing and growth our bodies accomplish every day.
The first step in straightening out a negative eating style is to be able to recognize the why as it’s happening.
It may take a bit of work to get to the point where true hunger can be recognized but we’d all be thinner and healthier if we ate only when we were hungry.
Trying to restrict eating in order to lose weight usually backfires. But knowing WHY we eat is actually the key to unlocking permanent weight loss.
Information about the Author:
Weight Loss Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com
To Men Who Want to Convince Their Wife to Lose Weight – But Can’t Get Started
To Men Who Want to Convince Their Wife to Lose Weight – But Can’t Get Started
For many men the subject of their wife’s weight is something that they think about every day but are too afraid to discuss with their spouse. Telling your wife it’s time to lose weight could be grounds for divorce if precautions are not taken to lessen the blow of the comment. But really when you think about it, is it that big of a deal to ask your wife to lose some weight?
Lemonade Diet – What Can the Lemonade Diet Do For You?
Lemonade Diet – What Can the Lemonade Diet Do For You?
Many celebrities have used Lemon Cleanse/Master Cleanse or the “lemonade diet” for decades in order to detoxify their bodies and achieve quick weight loss results. The diet was developed by an alternative medicine specialist in the 40’s to remove toxins from the body as well as aid in weight loss.
Health & Fitness – Why Are We Becoming So Fat?
Health & Fitness – Why Are We Becoming So Fat?
There is no doubt about it, we are getting bigger and fatter. The rates of people who are overweight or obese has grown steadily over the last 20 years. If it continues it will soon reach epidemic proportions which will cause huge implications to the health service and future generations. So why are we becoming fatter?
Shrink Tummy Fat Fast – 2 Top Secret Tips to Get Lightning Fast Fat Loss Starting Today!
Have you tried many different fad diets, diet pills, etc. and never received the results you were hoping for? Well, after going on several types of diets… and then failing miserably, I realized that it all comes down to the following 2 HUGE tips to get a SKINNIER body easily, quickly, and consistently:
Fat Loss 4 Idiots Reviews – Are Calorie Shifting Diets Another Passing Diet Fad?
Fatloss4idiots is the latest diet plan that hit the market. What is amazing about this plan is the promise that you will lose 9 lbs in 11 days.
HCG Diet – Help! I’m Hungry! How to Avoid Cheating and Survive HCG Diet Restrictions
HCG Diet – Help! I’m Hungry! How to Avoid Cheating and Survive HCG Diet Restrictions
The HCG Diet is catching on, but hunger can be a problem during the VLCD. Be creative with a few simple tips.
Losing Weight With Medifast
People around the world are getting healthy and losing weight with Medifast. This weight loss program can help you reach long lasting health goals with the power of nutrition and support that’s been clinically proven to work.
Losing Weight Fast – These 3 Tips Will Help You to Succeed
Losing Weight Fast – These 3 Tips Will Help You to Succeed
If you are attempting to lose weight fast and without too much effort, it is very important that you simply take the proper steps to succeed.If you don’t do them properly, you will decrease your chances of succeeding.
The 7-Day Weight Loss Diet That Really Works
How many times have you tried a weight loss diet only to find yourself frustrated by the results? In fact, a quick check of the dreaded scales reveals that you actually gained more weight than you lost! We have all tried our share of weight loss diets, but what if I told you about one that really works in only seven days?
Going Vegan is Easier Than Ever
When I became vegan over 12 years ago, there weren’t many options available to vegans in grocery stores. You could only get soy milk at health food stores and there were only a handful of companies even making it.
Comfort Food: Understanding Why We Eat
Comfort Food: Understanding Why We Eat
In the quest for weight loss, the diet industry puts a lot of attention on what we eat but focusing on why we eat may be more important.
After losing over 70 lbs. permanently and becoming a weight loss coach for others, I’ve found most people have a pretty good idea of what they should eat. We have no problem categorizing foods into healthy and non-healthy lists. But ask someone why they eat and the usual response is “hunger.” Unraveling the deeper reasons beneath the pre-emptive response of “hunger” may take a little detective work!
Here are a few things that might be lurking beneath the surface of hunger. Keep in mind that the categories can overlap and coexist!
Learned Behavior
Some people learn behaviors at an early age and never question them. A good example is milk and cookies at bedtime or a larger-than-usual meal on Sunday nights. We rarely think about Learned Behaviors, we simply do them unconsciously. However, the calories still count!
Availability of Food
Imagine you ate a satisfying breakfast. You don’t feel hungry at all. Then, someone brings donuts to work. Imagine further that you don’t even like the type of donuts that appeared! How many times would you eat them anyway? Nine out of 10 times? Availability of Food can be a real quagmire along the weight loss route, especially in the United States where food is abundant and relatively inexpensive.
Other examples of Availability of Food are all-you-can-eat buffets and social occasions.
Cravings
Cravings for food are chemical. For example, when the brain needs serotonin, the brain causes carbohydrate cravings. When blood sugar levels are low, we may crave sugary or sweet foods. When we experience cravings, eating what we crave will satisfy the body for a very short time, then the craving will return full force. Protein is actually a better choice when intense desire occurs because it will break the craving cycle.
Emotional Eating
Food can dilute, soften or dull emotions we term “unpleasant” like anger, resentment, frustration, guilt and hatred. Even emotions we label “desirable” can be so intense, food may be used to dull the feeling back into a manageable or tolerable level. Prime emotions for this type of eating are joy, happiness, desire, elation and excitement.
At other times, we may eat to substitute for a lack of feeling. A good example of this is boredom. Eating when you are bored can bring on feelings of self-hatred, humiliation, and shame, but the bored, empty feeling is gone!
Habits
A habit is a stable behavior formed through repetition over time. Many people ask how this is different than Learned Behavior. The difference is that Learned Behaviors are learned from other people, usually family, and have a long history. We are solely responsible for forming Habits. The good news is that good habits are as easily formed as bad habits.
Social Eating
It is rare to socialize in any way today in America without the involvement of food. Watching a football game at a neighbor’s house, meeting friends you haven’t seen for a while: these things don’t need the involvement of food but it usually becomes an integral part of any social plan. This often intersects with Availability of Food. It might be wise to ask yourself if you are really hungry or just eating because it seems the acceptable and expected thing to do.
Environmental Eating
Does a visit to the ball park always mean hot dogs? Does a movie have to include 2000 calories of popcorn? Certain environments trigger eating that is unhealthy. Sometimes it can be any environment that is not home. For instance, do you always eat more than necessary when dining in a restaurant?
Hunger
Hunger, true hunger, is another reason to eat. And, ideally, it’s the only reason. Humans were designed to eat to fuel their bodies. Fuel to survive. Fuel for the massive amounts of maintenance, healing and growth our bodies accomplish every day.
The first step in straightening out a negative eating style is to be able to recognize the why as it’s happening.
It may take a bit of work to get to the point where true hunger can be recognized but we’d all be thinner and healthier if we ate only when we were hungry.
Trying to restrict eating in order to lose weight usually backfires. But knowing WHY we eat is actually the key to unlocking permanent weight loss.
Information about the Author:
Weight Loss Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com
Does Circuit Training Fitness Equipment Help Men’s Health Too?
It’s no secret that circuit training workouts have skyrocketed in popularity over the last decade. Continuing the trend started by Curves for Women, health clubs nationwide have been helping women lose weight and tone up by offering circuit training exercise and by encouraging them to maintain a healthy diet.
Of the estimated 30,000 health clubs in the United States, approximately one-third feature a circuit training routine as their core workout. The vast majority of these gyms are geared towards women only, often boasting in their advertising that ‘men are not allowed’.
But can this exercise equipment work for men, too? Can men, who traditionally shun weight loss diet pills and other gimmicks, benefit from this exercise program as well? The answer to that question depends on your personal goals. Men of all ages have different goals, from burning fat to building huge muscles to developing strength. Most men fall somewhere in between, desiring a combination of the three.
How To Lift Weights (Resistance Train) To Achieve Your Goals:
To help illustrate this point, let’s consider the three different ways to resistance train (lift weights), which correspond directly to your own personal fitness goals.
If your goal is to have lean, toned muscle without a lot of size, then you should be doing high repetitions with a relatively low amount of weight (resistance). You can lift this way all day long and you will not develop huge muscles. This approach to resistance training will accomplish two things: burn fat and tone muscle. That’s it. This is the method of resistance training offered by most circuit training health clubs. Let’s call it the ‘Burn and Tone’ goal.
If your goal is to increase muscle size, then you should be lifting relatively heavy weights (resistance) about 6-8 times per set. The weight selected should be about 80% of your 1RM (one rep maximum). For example, if the most you could ever bench press once is 100 lbs. (your 1RM), then to gain size you would want to be bench pressing about 80 lbs. 6-8 times per set. Compare this to the training of someone who wants to burn fat and tone muscle; the person who wants to gain muscle size keeps the weight much higher and does fewer repetitions. Let’s call this the ‘Pump You Up’ goal.
Finally, perhaps your goal is to gain extreme strength. An example of this would be a powerlifter. Resistance training to gain strength would require you to lift as much weight as possible, but only one time (one repetition). Obviously, this method will not burn as much fat. It will also not create gigantic muscles, but it will result in some significant muscle growth. Let’s call this one the ‘Freakish Strength’ goal.
Can Circuit Training Gym Equipment Help You Achieve Your Goals?
Assuming that you’re like most men, your personal fitness goals are probably to reach your ideal weight by burning some fat, while at the same time gaining some muscle and strength. You don’t need to look like Arnold in the first Predator movie, but then again you definitely don’t want to resemble Pee-Wee Herman either! Will circuit training help you?
To answer this question, it’s important to first examine and understand exactly what circuit training exercise machines will and will not do. Much of the circuit training fitness equipment available today will only help you with your ‘Burn and Tone’ goal. Why?
First and foremost, the reason why much of the circuit training exercise equipment on the market today will not help you with your ‘Pump You Up’ or ‘Freakish Strength’ goals is that these strength machines simply do not provide enough resistance. Many have just one resistance setting, which is usually set too low for you to get anywhere close to 80% of your 1RM (remember, that’s required for real muscle growth).
To accomplish those goals of substantial muscle growth and strength gains in a circuit training environment, it’s necessary to utilize equipment that has more than one resistance setting. In other words, you need to have the ability to increase the resistance (weight) so that you are able to remain close to your 1RM. This becomes even more true as you continue to exercise and become more fit, thus able to lift more and more weight.
Sports scientists actually have a phrase for this, and it’s called the Principle of Progressive Overload.
The ‘Principle of Progressive Overload’ maintains that once the body has adapted to the stress put upon it, no further progress will be made until 1) resistance is increased or 2) repetitions are increased. In other words, if you start exercising on circuit training equipment that has only one resistance level, you will probably see decent results for a time. However, once your body has adjusted to that level of resistance, and it’s no longer a challenge to you, your progress will come to a screeching halt. You won’t add any additional muscle, or strength, until you add more weight.
This puts a gym without adjustable resistance in the uncomfortable position of having their members ‘plateau’ once they have mastered the equipment. Depending on their age and prior fitness level, their members soon find that their progress has ceased. Many circuit gyms are unable to adjust their resistance settings, so by definition they cannot promise life-long progress.
For the best results, seek out a fitness center that has adjustable resistance circuit training equipment. By providing many different levels of resistance, they will help you achieve not just the ‘Burn and Tone’ goal, but also the ‘Pump You Up’ and ‘Freakish Strength’ goals. What if your goal is just to ‘Burn and Tone’, though? Simple. Just don’t increase the resistance, so if your goal isn’t to increase muscle size then you can simply work out on a strength setting of 1. It’s up to you.
The answer, then, to the question “Does Circuit Training Fitness Equipment Help Men’s Health Too?” is a resounding YES, assuming that you’re exercising on circuit training equipment that has more than one resistance setting.
Additional Weight Lifting Equipment Is Also Important:
Circuit training is popular because it works. Using the right exercise machines, men will have no problems meeting their health and fitness goals in a circuit training fitness center. However, there is another critical component to consider when seeking a workout routine that’s right for you: free weights.
While it’s true that circuit training is the fat burner you’ve been looking for all these years, and it’s also true that the right circuit training exercise equipment can help you build a significant amount of muscle and strength, it’s important to realize that free weights are especially important for men who want to pack on pounds of serious eye-popping muscle.
Why? For the answer, we need to dissect a weight lifting movement.
Positive vs. Negative:
There are two movements in any resistance training (weight lifting) exercise. These are called the concentric and the eccentric parts of the exercise, also commonly referred to as the ‘positive’ and ‘negative’.
The concentric (positive) part of the resistance training movement is defined as “Muscle action in which the muscle is shortening under its own power” (Source: Fitness, The Complete Guide; ISSA 2001). Examples would be pushing the bar away from you on a bench press, or lifting the bar towards your chin on a biceps curl.
The eccentric (negative) part of the resistance training movement is defined as “Muscle action in which the muscle resists while it is forced to lengthen” (Source: Fitness, The Complete Guide; ISSA 2001). Examples would be lowering the bar on a bench press, or lowering the bar away from your chin on a biceps curl.
The point to be made here is that the eccentric part of the resistance training movement is the component that will lead to hyper-extensive muscle growth. When you work out you cause microscopic tears in the muscle, the fibers repair and regenerate and are able to handle future bouts of similar work while experiencing significantly less damage. Eccentric contractions cause greater muscle damage and thus provide the stimulus to make your muscles grow and strengthen. This may be due to eccentric contractions allowing greater force production in addition to less fiber recruitment, which means the fibers are stressed more and more damage occurs.
Circuit training equipment is double-concentric, meaning that it works opposing muscle groups at the same time. There is no eccentric movement. What this means for you as a man is that circuit training exercise equipment will help you burn fat, build muscle and increase strength in about half the time it takes in a ‘regular’ free weight gym. However, if your goal is to add a massive amount of muscle size, then you will need to incorporate some free weight exercises into your fitness workout.
In other words, while adjustable-resistance circuit training fitness equipment will help you build moderate to serious amounts of muscle, only free weights (with their eccentric movement) can turn you into a 900-pound gorilla. If that’s not your goal, then by all means stick with the circuit training. It’s safe, effective, and proven to get results.
But if you do want to go beyond moderate to serious muscle growth and create a shirt-busting body, then you’ll need free weights. That’s why it’s important to choose a circuit training health club that offers additional weight lifting equipment.
Conclusion: Does Circuit Training Fitness Equipment Help Men’s Health Too?
The short answer? Absolutely.
If your goal is to ‘Burn and Tone’, then circuit training is virtually custom made for you. This is what circuit training was designed to do, and it accomplishes that goal better, faster and more efficiently than any other workout.
If you share the ‘Pump You Up’ goal, where you want to add a moderate to serious amount of muscle to your frame, then circuit training can help you if (and only if) you choose a gym that offers adjustable resistance circuit training equipment.
If your goal is to attain ‘Freakish Strength’, then circuit training can help you, too. Again, however, it’s important to find a fitness center that offers adjustable resistance circuit training equipment.
Finally, when looking for a circuit training health club to join, it’s a good idea to find one that also provides a full array of free weights. Whether you’re a regular guy who just wants to augment his workout, or an up-and-coming muscle-head who wants to manufacture a gargantuan body, it’s convenient to have free weights as an option.
Circuit training is popular because it works. Circuit training is quick, efficient, and has made health and fitness dreams come true for thousands of men. Now it’s your turn.
It’s no secret that circuit training workouts have skyrocketed in popularity over the last decade. Continuing the trend started by Curves for Women, health clubs nationwide have been helping women lose weight and tone up by offering circuit training exercise and by encouraging them to maintain a healthy diet. But can this exercise equipment work for men, too?
Information about the Author:
Weight Loss Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com
Does Fat Burning Furnace Ultimate Fitness System Really Work?
If you’re looking for a way to lose weight and get fit, you may have heard about the Fat Burning Furnace Ultimate Fitness plan by Rob Poulos. You may be wondering whether this program is for real and whether it really works.
Most Common Diseases and Health Problems That Are Caused by Obesity and Being Overweight
Most Common Diseases and Health Problems That Are Caused by Obesity and Being Overweight
Obesity is generally a clinical condition that poses health risks. Obesity is storage of excessive fat in the body which is measure by the body mass index. In medical sense, obesity is bad because there is no movement of calorie from the body. People become obese when they lack exercise and takes in too much calories that are not necessary. In effect, the body is prone to health problems.
Are Weight Loss Supplements Useful For You?
Are Weight Loss Supplements Useful For You?
Are Weight Loss Supplements Useful For You?
The debate about whether supplements for weight loss are healthy or not will go on and on for years to come. There are good and bad points to using weight loss supplements. One of the bad points is that once you stop taking them you gain everything back that you lost to begin with.
Most doctors will tell you that weight loss supplements are not necessary and that only a good controlled diet along with daily exercise is the only thing one needs to lose weight. This is true. however with today’s working society with 2 parents working and trying to raise children at the same time who has time for exercise? Who has time to plan good nutritional meals?
What do you think of the hundreds of weight loss supplements out there on the shelves today? Are they worth the money? Will they actually help you lose weight? How do you know which ones are going to work for you? Is there any proof that these products work?
I’ve taken some time and researched some of the most popular product to try to find the answers for you. The truth is, most products won’t help you lose anything but money. There are a few, however, with some research behind them that prove that they actually work.
What are these supplements that work? It seems that only four products hold the best promise for those of us who want to slim down. They are Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), Hydroxycitic Acid (HCA), phaseolomine, and possibly 5-HTP.
1. Conjugated Linoleic Acid, CLA, has a number of research studies behind it. It is a fatty acid that has been found to reduce cancer risks, body fat and to increase lean muscle tissue. The Journal of Nutrition reported a Scandanavian Research team found CLA to increase the lean body mass of humans and also to decrease the fat mass. CLA does occur naturally in meat and dairy products, but the levels are pretty low. Also, if you’re following a healthy low-fat diet, you tend to not get as much meat and dairy, so supplementation may be the answer for getting a healthy dose of CLA.
2. Hydroxycitic Acid, HCA, is derived from a fruit, Garcinia cambogia or Malabar tamarind. It seems to work by inhibiting an enzyme that converts carbohydrates to fat. Studies on humans have had mixed results with one study using a high fiber diet, showed HCA had no effect on weight loss. Critics think the high fiber diet prevented absorbtion of the HCA. So, if you’re on a high fiber diet, HCA may not be for you.
3. Phaseolomine is derived from the white kidney bean. It works by reducing your body’s absorbtion of starchy carbohydrates. Since you absorb fewer calories, you lose weight. Seems like this supplement would be great to take if you knew you were going to indulge. Research has also shown that you burn more fat while taking phaseolomine. Subjects in one study lost 10% of their body fat in 30 days. Phaseolomine is typically found in carb blocker products.
4. 5HTP works by increasing the level of Serotonin in the brain resulting in more stable emotions, better sleep and weight loss. In one study where women were given either a placebo or 5HTP and a 1200 calorie diet, those who took the placebo lost 2.28 pounds and those who took 5HTP lost 10.34 pounds. This was accomplished in 6 weeks. Are there other supplements that work? There may be others that will stand the test of time and research, but for now these are the best non-prescription supplements I’ve found to enhance your weight loss efforts.
Back to supplements.
First they will not work if you do not get the proper diet and at least exercise once per week. What supplements do is to help speed up your metabolism rate decreasing the need for daily exercise. They also supplement the nutrition needed that you may not be getting from your diet for proper weight loss. Weight loss supplements actually regulate your blood sugar level, this helps you overcome severe sugar and carbohydrate cravings that sabotage even the most strong-willed weight loss efforts.
So are weight loss nutrition supplements right for you? When my friend lost 40 pounds using supplements she felt great. She was happy and gained allot of self esteem back. Not to mention that she had allot more energy. If you have a hectic schedule and cannot find enough time in the day to prepare proper nutritional meals and get regular daily exercise then I suggest you give supplements a try.
My opinion is that if they help you to lose weight and make you feel good about yourself again then go for it. What do you have to lose except a few pounds. There are hundreds of products on the internet you can try.
Good luck losing the weight you want to lose!
http://www.americanbrandz.com
The debate about whether supplements for weight loss are healthy or not will go on and on for years to come. There are good and bad points to using weight loss supplements.
Information about the Author:
Weight Loss Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com
How to Lose Weight – Things You Should Know About Your Body
Experts have discovered the connection between weight problems and our brains for a long time now. There is a gene that could make people to overeat and gain weight. The gene gives people the ability to feel pleasure in eating and encouraging them to eat more. As they eat more they become fat. And also every time you eat something, you brain releases two different types of hormones into your body and these hormones control whether you burn the fat or store them in your body.
How to Build Metabolism Boosting Muscle
How to Build Metabolism Boosting Muscle
How many times have you started a diet, followed the directions, done the exercises, ate the foods and NOT lost weight? What do you do? Consider it a failure and move on? Or, just give up? Well, the issue isn’t the diet.
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Nutrisystem Select Vs Nutrisystem Basic – What is the Difference? Which is Better?
I’ve gotten a few emails which have asked me to compare the Nutrisystem basic and select programs. People want to know how they are similar and different from each other so that they can figure out which program would be the better fit for them. So, in the following article, I will compare the two and will outline some of the major similarities and differences.
The World’s Best Kept Secrets for Fat Loss
The World’s Best Kept Secrets for Fat Loss
Okay I’m going to go ahead and admit that the title of this article sounds like a late night infomercial you might’ve caught part of last Saturday night. But the fact is I am going to reveal the world’s best kept secrets for fat loss; whether or not you choose to heed the advice is up to you.
When trying to delve into the secrets of fat loss and the way the body works and wants to work, we have to look at ourselves the ways we existed long ago in our past. A few thousand years ago man could not just jump in the car and run down to the local grocery store or fast food joint. In primitive times, if you wanted to eat, you had better have been fast and good with a weapon. These skills were the two most important attributes you needed to possess in order to provide food for yourself and your family.
Once you did track down your prey and prepared the nights meal, there were no low fat versions available on the menu. You ate what you killed and this included a healthy combination of protein, in the form of muscle, and fat which added flavor and provided the needed energy the body required for the next day’s hunt.
Did you catch that? I just divulged the world’s best kept secrets for fat loss. If it went over your head, let me spell it out for you.
1. Exercise
2. A high fat diet
That’s right exercise and a high fat diet. This represents what our bodies were used to many thousands of years ago when man had to hunt and kill for his meals on a daily basis. I want to emphasize the existence of protein in these diets because of course most of the animals eaten were composed of muscle and fat. Protein worked well in the bodies of those who ate animal protein in order to help maintain and build their own muscle. But fat is also a fantastic energy source for our bodies and when we put ourselves into a energy demand state that will allow your body to burn fat for fuel, other fuel types (muscle tissue) will be preserved plus we’ll burn more stored body fat as well. The combination of a consistent exercise plan demanding more energy (calorie burning) with a modified diet that includes high fat foods, lean proteins and significantly less carbohydrates than found in other diets can be a great and very effective combination for fat loss.
The state in which our bodies are burning fat as their main source of energy is called ketosis. It is the principle behind such diets as the Atkins diet and if used properly can be extremely effective at stripping away body fat like nothing else you have ever tried. The fat that you consume is burned for energy and in turn your body will continue to want to burn fat once you’ve trained it properly and this will lead to your existing stores of fat (yes, I’m talking about your belly and your butt) to be burned off as well.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you go sharpen a broomstick and start tracking deer in order to put food on your table on a nightly basis, but if you can work to mimic the diet of early man through a high-fat high-protein diet coupled with a rigorous and consistent exercise program, you can begin to achieve the streamlined and muscular physique that was so common in our early predecessors. The world’s best kept secrets for fat loss may just be entering your body into a state of ketosis and exercising regularly like we did long ago.
I just divulged the world’s best kept secrets for fat loss. Find it here.
Information about the Author:
Weight Loss Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com
Inflammation and Toxicity and Their Impact on Weight Loss
Inflammation and Toxicity and Their Impact on Weight Loss
When it comes to weight loss, there’s no shortage of pills, fad diets, weight loss clinics and programs, all of which claim they’ll help you shed the pounds and keep them off. The dieter feels a sense of elation when the scales move in the direction she anticipated. Unfortunately, that elation soon disappears when the scales creep up again and surpass the level at which the diet began.
How To Get Motivated For Weight Loss And Exercise
If you’ve made the difficult decision to take off some weight – congratulations! For most, making a pledge to their own well-being is the hardest aspect. But despite self-motivation, many people realize they do not know what exercises to incorporate for weight loss.
There are three key sorts of exercise: aerobic exercise, such as jogging; flexibility exercises, such as yoga and other forms of stretching; and strength training, including bodybuilding.
Aerobic and strength training will help you burn up the most calories. Since losing weight is dependent on either burning more calories or taking in less, it is best to focus on these initially to make sure your self motivation lasts as you drop pounds.
Typically, thirty minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week is ideal. Build the interval and frequency as you progress.
But many people whose self-motivation has helped them to begin an exercise for weight loss program ignore the importance of strength training. Aerobic exercise burns more calories initially, but weight lifting increases muscle mass, and muscle burns more calories than fat. A pound of muscle burns 35 calories a day to function at rest; a pound of fat burns only two calories for the same function.
The fitness consensus used to say that to “build” muscle, you should do fewer reps (3-5) at higher weights, and to simply “tone,” higher reps (12-15) at lower weights was the best way. But there is no such thing as “toning.” Definition that happens with what’s incorrectly called toning results because you have lost the layer of fat covering muscle, making the muscle more visible. The size of the muscle underneath depends on how vigorously you train.
You must “tear down” the muscle so it can rebuild itself afterward. In fact, you do not create muscle during workouts but you do in the days after when it’s “resting.” The general rule for strength training is beginning with three sets of 8-12 reps at a weight that leaves you almost incapable of doing the entire set. Then, rest for 30-60 seconds before beginning your next set.
Don’t be disappointed if you are not able to do all of the reps on every set. In fact, use that to gauge when to add weight. If you’re doing each set without any muscle strain, you will want to add weight.
Self motivation got you to begin, but many people have a difficult time maintaining the pace. It helps to know that the source of our motivations is a belief. Think about it: If you didn’t believe the gnawing sensation in your stomach meant you were hungry, you wouldn’t feel motivated to eat.
Understanding what ideas motivate you is necessary to weight loss, because when you feel powerfully motivated, you will exercise without fail. NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is a form of hypnosis. And there are NLP methods that can create exercise motivation because, over time, desire to exercise for weight loss alone probably will not be enough to keep you going. Exercise hypnosis motivation therapy can help.
Your primary task is naming the most important things in your life. We call these things your highly valued criteria. Highly valued criteria are generally intangibles: money wouldn’t be highly valued criteria, but the freedom, security or fun that money can provide would be.
Next, determine what you need to believe to feel highly motivated to exercise. It’s necessary to bear in mind that logic has nothing to do with belief. Things do not have to be logical to believe them. You may find you already have a belief that goes against this new idea. That’s okay.
While understanding what motivates us is important, exercise hypnosis motivation therapy can put these ideas to work by ensuring self motivation persists. Hypnosis for motivation does this by modifying the computer codes in your brain, so you accept motivational ideas.
Belief systems are based in our unconscious, which is like a computer. Computers do not have any capability to reason. The input controls the output. The methods used in hypnosis for exercise motivation therapy can make you believe nearly anything, as long as you’re willing to believe.
You start by making an image in your mind that illustrates something you already believe, such as, “I love my children.” Then you learn to calibrate the elements or ‘Submodalities’ of that mental belief picture.
Next, you make a mental picture that illustrates your motivational idea. Let’s say your motivational idea is, “If I exercise, then I’ll look great and my marriage will improve.” Then you learn how to alter the Submodalities of this mental image to match with the Submodalities in your calibrated belief picture. Conversely, if a belief is holding you back, the same technique can change that belief to doubt.
Hypnotherapy for motivation that uses NLP can provide you with something of an internal personal trainer. Using an exercise hypnosis motivation program ensures that the passion you started with stays until reaching your objective, and then helps you maintain that objective.
Have you been thinking about start an exercise program to lose weight? For many, committing to their own well-being is the hardest aspect. This article explains what the best exercises for weight loss, and includes information about how to build the motivation to adhere to your new exercise plan.
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The Dukan Diet
The Dukan Diet
The Dukan diet is a method in 4 phases with the aim of returning to a diet based on natural foods. A diet for weight loss can sometimes be hazardous according to the method advocated.
Is the Pineapple Diet Negative Calorie Based?
Have you heard about negative calorie foods and the pineapple diet and want to know what the big fuss is all about? Read on to learn more about the pineapple diet.
Part II – Are There Ingredients Put in Food to Make You Fat?
Part II – Are There Ingredients Put in Food to Make You Fat?
High Fructose Corn Syrup. This is one of the worst. I mean have you seen the commercials that claim “HFCS is fine in moderation?” Are they serious?
What are the main causes of belly fat?
There are many and varied reasons why people gain weight around the belly. It is highly likely that one factor alone is not the cause but rather an accumulation of several contributing factors can lead to weight creeping on unnoticed.
Research has highlighted five important factors that have been shown to effect how much fat is stored around your middle. These are:
1) Improper diet:
The number one cause of excess stomach fat is improper diet. Eating a healthy, nutritious diet is the biggest component for long term consistent weight loss. In order to lose weight your body must burn more calories than you consume. Reducing your calorie intake combined with healthy eating habits can greatly reduce the amount of fat around your middle and the rest of your body.
2) Genetics:
Genetics plays a huge role in your appearance. Some people have a tendency to store fat in the lower half of their body, hips and thighs, (typically pear shape) while others tend to store fat around their middle (apple shape).
If one or both of your parents has a tendency to store fat around the middle then there is a fairly high chance that you will to. However, this does not mean that you are predisposed to belly fat and can not do anything about it. Once you understand your body shape and how it works to store fat you can change how your body responds.
3) Lifestyle:
Unfortunately the world we live in today creates a myriad of stressful situations for people each and every day. From work related problems, deadlines, relationship problems or the lack of one, fitting in the house work, dealing with family quarrels, low calorie diets, intense training, lack of quality sleep or just being caught in a traffic jam ….the list goes on!
Stress can trigger the release a hormone called cortisol (the stress hormone), this causes your liver to produce excess sugar that you body does not need and as a result it is stored as fat.
There is also some scientific evidence that leading a more stressful life can have a direct impact on where fat storage occurs in your body. There is a link between high cortisol levels and storage of body fat, particularly visceral abdominal body fat. It is important to say that high levels of cortisol are merely one contributing factor to storage of abdominal fat, not the primary cause.
4) Age:
Age plays a big role in the accumulation of belly fat. As we get older our metabolism gradually slows down. That means you do not burn calories as fast or as easily as you did when you were younger. A slower metabolism can also result in extra storage of fat, particularly around the middle. It is very important as we get older to maintain a level of physical activity to increase metabolism and burn belly fat.
5) Digestion:
Improper digestion may cause several problems such as gas, bloating and occasional abdominal pains. Many people who complain about persistent belly fat are actually suffering from excess gas which causes the belly to look bloated.
Increasing the amount of fresh, raw, organic fruits and vegetables into your diet will provide a natural source of enzymes and fibre to help break down what you eat and flush all the toxic substances that can cause symptoms such as gas, bloating and constipation.
Conclusion
Belly fat is without a doubt the number one trouble spot for men and women alike. More women moan about having a wobbly tummy and more men try to get a perfect six pack; concentrating efforts on this region more than any other body part.
Trying to shift stubborn belly fat is very important for health reasons, as there is a number of health risks associated with stomach fat. These include heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and sleep apnea.
In order to effectively get rid of fat around your middle rethinking your diet and exercise is a step in the right direction. Eating a well balanced diet full of protein, complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables will reduce the levels of fat in and around the abdomen.
Adding in a little bit of exercise will speed this process up dramatically as it will increase metabolism and help you to burn fat and get toned. Nothing extreme, but even adding in a little walking, swimming or cycling into your regular daily/weekly routine will go a long way to reducing the stubborn belly fat.
Research has highlighted a number of common factors that have been shown to cause exess belly fat. It is unlikely that one factor alone is the sole cause for excess belly fat but rather an accumulaton of two or more leading to exess weight gradually creeping on around the middle.
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Sinful Diet Snack: Burns Fat and Reduces Cellulite
Sinful Diet Snack: Burns Fat and Reduces Cellulite
Most healthy fitness recipes are not quick and easy. Quite often – they can take close to 20 minutes to prepare – then another 30 minutes to cook. Not to mention the clean-up time after the meal. Worry no more – this one takes less than 13 minutes to prepare and only 20 to cook.
While it may be a little longer than you wish, it’s worth the little bit of extra time. When you taste these healthy snacks – you’ll be glad you took the 33 minutes to put them together.
Simple fruit based snacks are an easy, fast and inexpensive way to get high quality nutrients into your fat loss and fitness diet. However, it is also easy to go overboard when it comes to the calorie content that can be loaded into these quick and simple treats.
From your choice of fruits to how you actually combine them with other ingredients, can make the difference between bloating yourself up with unnecessary carbohydrates and sugars, or feeding your body in way that leaves you full of energy & satisfied, while keeping you in a favorable calorie range.
INGREDIENTS: NOTE – use organic ingredients if you can…
– 1 cup whole wheat flour
– 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon powder
– a pinch of sea salt
– 1 large egg – lightly beaten
– 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
– 1/3 cup skim milk (fat-free)
– 1/4 cup olive oil
– 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1 large, mashed up, ripened banana
– 1/3 cup chopped-up dried figs
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Then coat an 11 inch by 7 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Mix flour, flax seeds, ground cinnamon, baking powder and sea salt in large mixing bowl.
2) In medium bowl – stir together egg, brown sugar, 1/3 cup skim milk, olive oil, and vanilla. Then mix in mashed banana and chopped fig pieces. Add all this to first large bowl with flour mixture and stir. Spread evenly in pan.
3) Bake in oven for 20 – 25 minutes – or until tooth-pick stuck into at center comes out dry. Remove and let cool for 15 – 20 minutes.
4) Cut into 20 squares and EAT.
– each square is about eighty lean calories – two of these squares are perfect for a daytime treat or sinfully naughty pre-bedtime snack.
For eightly tight calories per square you get a nutrient dense, well-balanced, great-tasting, appetite-satisfying fitness snack that can fit into almost anyone’s fat loss & fitness program. You may also make your own variations of this recipe to match it perfectly to your fitness and body enhancement goals.
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Joey Atlas, Consumer Advocate for Women, is the mastermind of the New Cellulite Treatments Secrets, FREE Online Video Series for Women. Get FREE access today while spots are still available to start getting rid of your cellulite ASAP. You won’t want to miss any of these special episodes. Also visit Anti Cellulite Exercises for the Cellulite Reduction Home Exercise Program
HCG Obesity Cure
The HCG cure for obesity is not one for the vacillating or the weak-willed. It demands a lot sacrifices from you and there are times when your resolve will be severely tested. It helps tremendously if you always have a mental picture of how you will look and how well you will feel after licking your weight problem.
Mixed Berry Bariatric Advantage VitaBand� (180 Count) 
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