Gut Flora and Weight Loss

The bacteria that live in your GI tract are one of the most overlooked and vaguely understood components of both weight loss and longevity.There are a host of weight and health related problems that come from imbalances or problems with your intestinal flora.

Do you get a tummy bloat after eating carbs?

Is your fat relatively low but you still have a protruding stomach?

Do you not seem to recover well after exercise?

All of these can be manifestations of a problem with your internal flora. The old adage 'you are what you eat' gives way to our modern understanding that 'you are wh at you absorb'.

In this series, we will look at the role of intestinal flora. Our aim here is to education you on the nature of the vital role intestinal flora play in our health, weight loss, and longevity.

First, let's understand what we mean by the term 'gut flora'. The term gut flora refers to the delicate balance of microbes and other 'germs,' both good and bad, that live in the human gut (the stomach,small and large intestines and colon). The gut flora balance is the perfect scientific example of a commensal relationshipan otherwise symbiotic relationship where only one side benefits (in this case, the human).

There are billions of gut flora bacterial cells in the human body,compromising over 400 different strains. In fact, the bacteria in your stomach can comprise up to 22lbs of your total body weight! Though many of types of bacteria living in our stomach have been identified, there are still several types of gut flora that have yet to be explored, mainly because many are resistant to the latest culturing techniques, making them nearly impossible to study. The problem is that many types of intestinal flora can't survive outside of the warm, incubating human body and therefore can't be studied alive.

So what do the flora in our stomach and intestines do? How does what they do relate to losing weight and being lean and fit? Consider the following

Many of the flora in our gut work symbiotically within the human body. A partial list of the physiological processes that are influenced by our composition of intestinal bacteria would include our immune system, digesting carbohydrates, preventing irritable bowels, maximizing the absorption of nutrients, energy production and more.

For the purposes of weight loss and fitness we must consider that proper nutrition is essential to be lean and fit. Our intestinal flora have a very large influence over the assimilation and absorption of what we eat. Conversely, an equally important consideration that is usually overlooked is that what we eat can influence our composition of intestinal flora.

One example is the excess consumption of sugar. Certain types of flora that live within our gut thrive on a high sugar diet, most notably Candida Albicans. If you get a bloat in your lower tummy after eating sugar, this is a good indication of a candida bloom. These flora produce what are known as endotoxins. Endotoxins are poisonous substances that live within the bacteria themselves. When these bacteria die, the poisons within them flood into your body causing an immune response. If you have ever consumed sugar and felt nauseated,the endotoxins released into your system from bad gut flora are the culprit.This is just one example illustrating that if you want to lose weight and be fit and lean for life, you can't ignore the influence wielded by the little bugs living in your gut.

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Weight Loss Facts - Now You Can Find Out How To Lose Pounds Every 11 Days

Before plunging into any weight loss programs or diet exercises, a person should consider thoroughly the consequences of the dieting decisions that he makes along with the overall costs. For a person, being obese can really cause serious health problems. These consequences include an increase in the risk of heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other forms of cancer as well. Losing weight would reduce these risks. So one has to follow certain important points like:

Reduce the number of calorie related products in food and beverages or one can also go for exercise to burn off his calories. Experts recommend the people to combine both of the above points.

Very low calorie diets are in fact risky too and should be taken under medical supervision only. If a person takes low calorie diet without any supervision, then he can be deprived of important nutrients and it becomes a potential hazard to his health.

Fad diets rarely contain any permanent effect on a person. Any radical or sudden change in the eating habit is difficult to maintain over time. Further, a crash diet sends the person into a cycle of sudden weight loss and followed by a rebound weight gain once he resumes eating normal diet. He faces more difficulty in reducing his weight when he attempts his next diet.

In order to lose weight in a safe manner requires long term changes in the daily diet and also in the exercise habits. Experts recommend people with obesity to have a goal of losing about a pound per week. Modest reduction of 500 calories per day is the perfect way to achieve the goal. Lastly, a person has to learn and practice a healthy eating habit in order to lower his calorie intake.

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Weight Loss Programs

When starting on your weight loss journey for a healthier life, you may consider joining a weight loss program. You have three options:

• You can develop your own.
• You can join an online program.
• You can join a program in your local community.

Some online weight loss programs and local community programs may require a membership fee.

Create Your Own Weight Loss Program

It is not difficult to create your own weight loss program. It may take time and a bit of research but the program will be customized for you. You can work with your doctor or a nutritionist to set up a food plan.

You will need an exercise plan. There are a number of different types of exercise videos on the market. Some deal with specific age groups and health problems.

You should invest in a good cookbook based on the type of food plan you established. To stick to a weight loss diet, you will need variety in your meals.

You should keep a journal. The journal should include when you eat and what you eat. You should also write down your feelings just before you eat and after you eat. You can extend the journal to be a diary, recording all of your feelings and activities. It can be a diet buddy. It will also give you clues as to what triggers your eating patterns.

Join an Online Weight Loss Program

If you have a busy schedule and are unable to squeeze in time to visit a local community weight loss center, an online program may work for you.

Some online weight loss programs require membership and there may be a monthly or annual fee. If you join a program that has pre-packaged food and nutritional supplements, you will have to pay extra for these.

Features of an online weight loss program include:

• Healthy eating tips
• Recipes for foods and drinks
• Shopping tips
• Exercise program
• Message board or community forum
• Free trial periods
• Guaranteed results
• Online journal

Join a Local Weight Loss Program

Spending an hour or so at a local weight loss program may be what you are looking for. Local programs such as Weight Watchers have weigh-ins, meet and greet, and speakers. You can get to know the people who are trying to lose weight. Some local community centers and community colleges sponsor weight loss programs. You will have to pay membership or per meeting fee. This type of weight loss program does not have pre-packaged foods to sell. You can exchange recipes and tips with other attendees. You may find a diet buddy.

You will get some of the same benefits from a local weight loss program as an online program.

• Healthy eating tips
• Recipes for food and drinks
• Shopping tips
• Exercise program (depending on the type of center)
• Face-to-face meetings

In summary, a weight loss program will benefit you if you set realistic goals. You have to be committed to a positive lifestyle change.

Sandra is a researcher and writer on topics that affect our everyday lives. Read more articles on weight loss at http://www.a-weight-loss-guide.com

Are You 100% Sold Out On Weight Loss?

You decided to lose weight? How serious are you really about losing that weight, or is it just a nice thought you had? We'll see if you are really that dedicated or if you only going 20, maybe 40%. Do you try to get by with the least amount of effort? See what you are really doing and what you can improve on to make your weight loss successful.

For weight loss you need to drink plenty of water. No one argues on that but are you doing it? Are you drinking your eight glasses a day or did you have enough after six and call it quit? Did all that running to the bathroom become too annoying to you? If you really want to be serious about your weight loss, drink eight glasses of water a day. Space them out. Make sure you drink four glasses by noon and four before you go to bed. Only drink one glass at a time. How long can you keep this up? Don't just do it for a week or two, make it a habit! You should always be drinking this much.

Are you eating your fruits and vegetables? If you really want to see results you better pick this up. Unless you eat at least some fruit and vegetable every day, don't even tell me that you are on a weight loss program. If you want to tell me that you are in 100% you better be able to show me a list of fruits and vegetables eaten at the end of every day. Now, don't tell me this is for girls. If you are a guy and you are big, I guess you don't have any right to tell me what is the right diet for men. Hear me?!

Are you stepping on that scale regularly? Let me rephrase that. Are you stepping on the scale at least once a week? If you are not, you can not by any means be serious. Saying that you can not handle thinking about your weight does not mean much more, than saying that you can not handle the truth. If you are in 100% step on the scale every day, because every day matters. Every day your scale should be going down, unless you have a dang good reason for it not to.

Your weight loss is not going to come easy. If it was, many more people would be thin. At least don't lie to yourself about being on a weight loss program when you really are not. But when you decide to go on one, be on it 100% and have pride in that. You can do it, once you decide that you want to. Don't let other people fool you in that it is so easy and you just need to do this and that. Be serious, be responsible, and be a winner.

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Weight Loss Body Wraps

Weight loss body wraps have been all the craze this year. But, you're probably wondering if its really possible if they could work? How could body wraps enable you burn fat and lose weight? Sounds impossible, but read on to find out how.

The Science Behind Weight Loss Body Wraps

Weight loss body wraps enable a variety of processes which facilitate both inch loss and the ability to better metabolize fat.

The first process is called lymphatic drainage. This process is also incited during some types of special massage. During this process, the interstitial fluids (lymph) in your fat cells, is allowed to move freely and transports your fatty acids and toxins out of your body as waste. These fluids contain harmful impurities which your body has stored from the processed foods we eat and the air we breathe. Losing these fluids will allow you to lose inches immediately.

The second process is called lipolysis. This is the huge one. Most body wraps that you find on the internet and such, will not stimulate lipolysis. This is what identifies a true weight loss body wrap. Lipolysis is the breakdown of fat stored in your fat cells! By breaking down this fat, and stimulating lymphatic drainage and circulation, your fatty acids are carried out of your body as waste.

The third process is called micro-circulation. This is basically the blood flow through your tiniest of capillaries. The active state of this process is critical for weight loss body wrap to truly enable weight loss. Your fat cells are engrossed with miles of capillaries and for your fat cells to expel waste and toxins properly, your capillaries must be stimulated to circulate blood appropriately.

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Brandon Walsh is considered an expert author in the fields of biblical nutrition, weight loss, and healthy living.

Is Hoodia the Natural Key to Weight Loss

Hunger and the desire to eat is a great disadvantage if you are trying to lose weight! Cream cakes, sweets, biscuits and all other delicious wonderful foods seem to be everywhere when you are trying to forget about the pleasure of eating.

Wouldn't it be great to take a pill or potion that stops that craving for food in it's tracks and enable you to shed those pounds. There are many weight loss pills on the market that claim to help you lose weight but the one that's being talked about most for it's astounding effects is hoodia.

Hoodia is a succulent cactus type plant and can grow up to a meter in height. There are many different species but the one that has the appetite suppressant qualities is the gordonii species.

It was used hundreds of years ago in the Kalahari desert region of South Africa by tribesmen as a thirst quencher and natural appetite suppressant during long hunting trips. It keeps you feeling full after a meal for longer and also gives you a feeling of wellbeing.

The active ingredient in gordonii hoodia is a molecule called p57. It works by sending signals to the part of the brain that controls appetite and cravings that you are full. It does this by mimicking the effects of glucose which gives energy and a feeling of satisfied fullness, so even after a small meal you will feel full for much longer.

The desire to snack between meals which is often habit will disappear. You won't need that mid morning bar of chocolate or afternoon cake any more while you take hoodia. However you may need to take it for a couple of days before you start to experience it's benefits.

Some hoodia products are mixed with green tea. This is fine as not only is green tea a powerful antioxidant but it has the added effect of increasing initial weight loss due to the caffeine. Tea is a diuretic and causes you to lose water in the body by urinating more often. Water stored in the body adds extra weight.

The greater the ratio of green tea to hoodia the cheaper it is. The best mix of hoodia to green tea is 20:1

This can be purchased in tablet or liquid form, but you will find it more beneficial to take it in liquid form as not only is it easier to swallow but it's also much more readily absorbed into the body and you will notice it's effects almost straight away.

Only about 20% of ingredients are absorbed in tablet form, the remainder is wasted as it's passed through the body.

Hoodia should be taken as part of a healthy diet which includes lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. Exercise should also be a major part of your weight loss regime. Don't rely on hoodia as a quick fix for losing weight as it's vital that you get plenty of essential vitamins and minerals from a healthy diet to remain fit and healthy.

Kathy Joyce can help you to find a new slimmer, fitter and healthier you with valuable tips and resources on weight loss, fitness and nutrition.
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Negative Calorie Foods - Aiding Weight Loss and Increasing Metabolism

While all foods contain at least some calories, there are some that are classified as negative calorie foods due to their overall affect on the body. This simply means that these particular foods use more caloric energy to eat and digest than they actually contain to begin with. The calories from these types of foods are more difficult to breakdown and process, making the body work harder to digest them, thus burning more than the foods original caloric content.

If we gain weight when we take in more calories than we expend, it only stands to reason that if we take in less calories than we burn, we will then lose weight. Roughly ten percent of our total daily caloric intake is actually used to process and digest the foods that weve eaten. If we decrease the calories we ingest, add more negative calorie foods to our diets while increasing our level of physical activity, the result is healthy weight loss and an elevated metabolism.

A perfect example is a piece of cake that contains roughly 400 calories, but that also uses up 150 of those calories to eat and digest it. This then leaves a net gain of 250 calories, which of course turn into fat. Now, if instead you decided to eat a salad that contained 250 calories, but uses 400 calories to completely digest, you will have actually burned 150 calories simply by eating the salad. If you ate a piece of fruit that contained 100 calories but used up 200 calories worth during the digestion process, you will have burned an extra 100 calories just by eating the fruit.

The more negative calories that you can incorporate into your diet while maintaining a regular exercise program, the more fat you will ultimately burn. Negative calorie foods should always be prepared fresh and naturally without any added ingredients such as butter or salt, which would only counteract the foods negative caloric affects. Negative calorie foods generally have a high fiber content, which is essential for dieters as it allows the body to feel fuller longer. Fiber also causes the body to work harder to process and breakdown the foods weve eaten.

Although water isnt considered a food, ice cubes can be used as a negative calorie source. Water contains no calories at all, but the body must put forth energy to consume the ice, and also to compensate for the decrease in body temperature. Many dieters use frozen sugar-free juice cubes as healthy treats that also require the expenditure of more calories than they actually contain.

When following a diet rich with negative calorie foods, its important to remember that these foods are comprised mostly of water and fiber, and while they are healthy, they also lack key nutrients, proteins, and certain vitamins and minerals that the body needs to thrive.

Some vegetables that are considered to be negative calorie foods are:

Asparagus
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chili peppers
Cucumbers
Endives
Garlic
Leeks
Lettuce
Onions
Peppers
Radishes
Spinach
Turnips
Zucchini

Some fruits that are considered to be negative calorie foods are:

Apples
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cranberries
Guava
Grapefruit
Honey dew melons
Lemons
Limes
Mangoes
Oranges
Peaches
Pineapple
Plums
Raspberries
Tangerines
Tomatoes
Watermelon

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Successful Weight Loss: Discover More Foods

Youre likely to look at this list of foods and be left feeling restricted and not knowing how you are going to manage without these foods. When you remove these foods it can leave a gaping hole in your eating plan. I believe that this is one of the main reasons that people go back to eating the foods that they really want to reduce. When you feel stuck and unsure about what you are going to eat, habit will have you going back to foods you used to eat becomes its easier. I would suggest that rather than following a restrictive diet and considering a list of foods that you need to cut out in order to lose weight, that you first discover some healthier choices in foods. Make these healthier options as interesting and enticing as you can. When you have these healthier foods available to you in a way that you enjoy them, then you can decide which ones they will replace in your usual eating plan.

I can remember once a restrictive diet that said you could only eat red meat a maximum of 3 times a week. Although this is a sensible approach to eating healthier and losing weight, I remember wondering how on earth am I only going to eat red meat 3 times, what would I eat instead? The recommendation was to eat chicken instead and although I like chicken, I wasnt sure that eating chicken every day would keep my interest in food and stop me from going back to foods that werent so healthy. It was definitely something I struggled with and yet now I rarely eat red meat. I would say that one of the main reasons for this is due to discovering a huge variety of foods that are healthier and I enjoy. I would suggest that before you look at the foods that you arent going to eat or reduce them, that you first focus on finding one new food, menu or recipe that is enticing to eat. When youre ready to replace that food then I encourage you to go ahead and make that change.

What I want for you is plenty of healthy food choices.

Wendy helps and motivates people to lose weight. Click to her site http://www.weightlosscoaching.com to read more weight loss articles.

Successful Weight Loss for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Mind

Passion helps us to progress; it keeps us going despite the invariable obstacles. Every great achievement began with someones passion, and was carried forward by that momentum - Lissa Coffey

Passion for life, your quality of life

I believe that when you decided to manage your weight permanently, you were moved by a passion. It is your passion for life, for health and a better quality of life. I believe your great achievement will be to regain your natural weight. Please do not lose this momentum.

With your commitment, your passion and daily motivation, you are unstoppable. Dont let your doubts sabotage this journeys success.

Losing weight is not about dieting. Dieting could be what keeps the extra weight on your body. The words diet, dieting have a negative connotation. There is no need for sacrifice, no need for negative thoughts.

Proper Mindset

We need a change of attitude. We need to focus on the results we want to achieve. Losing weight is about healthy nutrition and healthy life style. This is not a slogan. This is a way of life; your quality of life.

You do not want your weight to yo-yo all your life. You want a steady weight loss and you want to maintain a healthy weight.

Needed Changes

We need a few life changes such as

• Positive attitude, positive mindset and everyday motivation
• knowing what you want and going for it, always focusing on the desired result
• Plan your new lifestyle; plan your meals, schedule motivation time and exercise time.
• healthy eating habits and
• Exercise everyday.

Enjoy the journey

You want to enjoy the weight loss as well as your weight management. It is easier to achieve what we enjoy.

We should enjoy our food three times

We first enjoyed our food when we taste it; it is a feast for our taste buds. Then we enjoy it because it satisfies our appetite. Then if the food is digested properly our body enjoys the nutrients, Mother Nature goodness. It nourishes our body.

Healthy Nutrition

Healthy nutrition is a nutrition that feed our body; a nutrition rich in nutrients that will feed each cell of our body. If our nutrition meets our body daily nutrient needs, and we have a good digestion, there will be no cravings.

If there is less or no craving, we will not be tempted to eat too much. If we enjoy our food, we will not be tempted to eat food that sabotages our weight management.

Digestion

The best food, the richest nutrients food will be worthless if we cannot digest it properly. The healthiest food in the world will not be a great help if we cannot digest and absorb its nutrients.

The better the digestion, the more benefits we get from our nutrition. The more fibers we eat, the easier our digestion, because the fibers push the food downward. The faster the food is digested the faster we benefit from its nutrients, if it is absorbed properly.

Enjoy your food

Food should be enjoyed. If you enjoy your food you feed both your body and your soul. You are really satisfied.

Did you notice how easy we digest a meal when we are in good company? It must be the laughter, or this feeling of well being. It is a great synergy: we enjoy the food, we enjoy the company; we enjoy ourselves. Our body chemistry is at his best; it releases all the hormones that give us this feeling of well being.

Isabelle Epstein
Dedicated to healthy nutrition and a healthy life style. If you would enjoy receiving, directly to your inbox, motivation and tips for a healthy weight management, sign up for Isabelle's free newsletter at: http://www.HealthyNutriMania.com

Weight Loss Programs

Losing weight is arguably one of the hardest journeys in your life because of what is involved when starting a plan from the physical change through to the mental change. So when as humans we come across a problem that needs solving we obviously try and find a quick and easy solution to follow. This is where weight loss programs come into play and by selecting the right one to follow can effectively boost the results you achieve and lets face it make things a whole lot easier and methodical.

With the wealth of programs out there to follow there are so many different angles to pursue to try and find the right one for you that most importantly works. The fact is though a program that actually works and aims at long term weight loss can be hard to find. One that is easy to follow and one that offers results quick time is in some cases like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

There are 3 factors to remember when selecting the program for you which are diet, exercise and also motivation. Your program will act as a bible in the next few months on your journey towards weight loss success and to find one that not only covers the diet and exercise side of things but also the motivation side of things is most certainly a godsend.

The first factor being diet is important. It is all well and good having a program telling you what sort of foods to eat but what we need as humans is an easier solution, we need to be spoon fed! A weight loss program that offers recipes and a diet plan that instructs you what to eat and when to eat will not only be easier but obviously more successful. Research shows that when we have a plan to follow 80% more of us succeed in our endeavours and a diet plan within your program is essential. It is nearly equivalent to having a full time nutritionist at your side so you cannot fail to succeed with your diet and healthy eating.

The next factor is an in depth exercise plan! Not just a few exercises to do but a full written out minute by minute plan that not only tells you what exercises to do but how to do them properly and how long for. At the end of the day a personal trainer will get you into shape but at the same time can cost you an arm and a leg so finding a program that not only instructs on what exercises to do but how and for how long can be like having a virtual personal trainer working with you and this information can be truly vital.

Finally the secret weapon "Motivation". The misconception with weight loss programs is that a good diet plan and exercise plan is enough but the reality is that more people fail at trying to lose weight than succeed so the odds are certainly against. But if the secret weapon of motivation can be found in a program you are most certainly in possession of a killer strategy. Success stories are always good but to have a program that works with you in steps along the way and give you the motivational pushes as you go along on your journey can be the difference between succeeding and failing. So motivation is certainly the key to a good program.

If these 3 factors are followed within a program you are looking into then you could be on the way to possessing that bible and are most certainly on the way to a slimmer you! The major point is a program is there to help and assist you so find one that you get the most bang for your buck.

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How to Get Super Skinny!

Losing weight can be difficult, and when you're talking about those last few pounds to make yourself super skinny, it can be especially hard. The truth is that starving yourself or eating less won't necessarily do the trick. The solutions has to be a combination of balanced, nutritious meals along with exercise at least three times a week. Sticking to a good diet and steady exercise can be hard but it is essential if you want to become super skinny!

Eat more balanced - more often!

The trick to losing that fat is to eat more balanced meals, and eat them more often. and still get daily exercise. You can eat just about anything as long as it's nutritious and in good portion. Smaller meals still satisfy your hunger but keep your metabolism up so that your body can be a fat-burning machine. Eating right and exercising is the key to feeling and looking great.

Don't skip meals - ever!

The most frequent mistake people make when trying to get super skinny is thinking that not eating will solve their problems. If you don't eat you won't have any energy to exercise and this will not lead to weight loss. It's important to get the idea of starving yourself out of your thoughts right away and commit to a healthy means of losing weight.

The body doesn't function without the proper nutrients it gets from your food. With insufficient food, your metabolism slows down drastically to compensate for the lack of food. So, you're actually doing more harm than good when you don't eat. And, any weight you lose will just be water weight.

So, why is it SO hard to get super skinny?

Why does it seem so difficult to get super skinny, but maintaining weight can be so simple for a lot of people? Most of the time, when people exercise they aren't being as efficient as they could be. They stop between exercises, rather than just laying back a little bit, and this will drastically slow down the fat-burning process. That burning sensation is a good thing!

Commit to a lifestyle change!

It's important to make a commitment that this is the day you change. Put down the potato chips and pick up some carrots or celery! Slowly add some healthy changes into your diet and build up your stamina by exercising for at least 20 minutes every day. If you keep up with a plan you'll be guaranteed to see the results!

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Brandon Walsh is considered an expert author in the fields of biblical nutrition, weight loss, and healthy living.

The Weight Loss Exercise Secret You Need To Know

Whilst many overweight people still seek the holy grail of weight loss through magic pills and diet plans, the more realistic buckle down to regular exercise as the answer. There are many people, former junk food addicts, who ascribe their success in losing excess weight to following an exercise program.

This article will examine a common mistake made by many people pursuing an exercise based weight loss program and establish whether it really is necessary to plod away for hours on a treadmill or exercise bike in order to shed the pounds. It's easy to see the arguments in favour of losing weight by exercising. The mere act of burning up the calories means that they are not available to be added to the waistline. So far, so good.

It often happens, though, that after some initial success in losing weight a plateau is reached when it seems impossible to make any further progress. At this point many people give up, citing lack of time as the reason. Others will doggedly carry on without seeking to establish the cause of the failure of their program.

There is a simple reason why this so often happens. Very often people in this situation are doing the wrong kind of exercise. They go to the gym several times a week and spend half an hour or an hour on the treadmill or exercise bike, at a steady, measured pace. The body soon accustoms itself to this regime, hence the lack of further progress after an initial loss in weight.

Doing some steady, not-too-demanding exercise is in order for warming the body up prior to proper exercise, so as to minimise the chances of pulling a muscle or tendon. But for real weight loss you need the said proper exercise, i.e. high intensity "interval training", where you work flat out for a limited time, say a minute to start with, rising to five or ten minutes when you are really fit, and then ease off with a rest or slower pace, before again working flat out for a limited period.

This pattern should be repeated in accordance with how fit you are. You can start with a short period of this kind of training, and gradually extend it as your fitness improves. The important point is that sweating the excess weight out in this way is far more effective than more gentle aerobic exercises over a longer period.

Remember, also, that other factors, such as ditching junk food and switching to a healthier diet, are also vital to long term success in losing excess weight. Learn all you can about different foods and exercise routines, plan for realistic, achievable targets, and you will have a much greater chance of shedding those pounds for good.

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Tips for Natural Weight Loss

Enjoyable physical activity is an integral part of a natural weight loss program. Research shows that physical activity is one of the key factors in helping people keep the pounds off. If you set sensible goals for yourself, chances are you'll be more likely to meet them and have a better chance of keeping your ideal weight.

A lifestyle based on healthy eating and regular physical activity is naturally the best way. By that I mean incorporating working your muscles and well as cardiovascular. Yes, study after study has shown that a blend of the two is key to a natural program being successful and keeping the weight from coming back.

Our bodies are amazing. If you eat less the body thinks it needs to store more because there's not enough. If you eat more frequently not large portions but just on a more frequent basis the body will think there is plenty and start burning the fat that is stored up.

A decrease in caloric intake and an increase in daily activity will create a natural caloric deficit which is the foundation of all pounds coming off for good. The excess weight that you put on is the difference between calories digested and calories burnt off through exercise. Therefore if you lead an active life you are able to consume more calories and your activity will get you to where you want to be.

Using moderate weights does not result in huge muscle mass, but it increases the body metabolism, firms the body and gives a slim look. Aerobic exercises can enhance your heart beat rate and breathing.

Most people employ just the cardio side of losing weight. Which it isn't bad but it more works the heart and lungs. You must incorporate a muscle workout of some kind into our regime. This is missing factor with so many.

Did you know after a muscle workout with weights your muscles are needing "food"? Guess what that food is..its your fat. This could be the missing link to your success.

Mike Dejona is the expert in weight loss and has posted more free articles and helpful tips at http://www.lossweightprogramsite.com/Natural-Weight-Loss.php

Weight Loss Through 'Conscious Eating' Not Dieting

Are you at the point where you are tired of living a life with food as your enemy?

Is life a constant struggle as you try to shed or keep off those extra pounds?

Have you ever wondered where all your will power went?

The truth about weight loss motivation does not lie with will power; it lies with the skills we lost when we started dieting. Our problem lies not with food but with our own attitude to it. When following a diet plan or eating regime you not only label food as 'good' or 'bad' but you also give up two very important skills...

1. The Skill of Conscious Eating
2. The Skill of Personal Choice

By listening to what foods others tell you are good for you, personal power of choice is given away. By switching off your mind to your body you close down your instinctive ability to eat exactly what your body requires. Your focus becomes the food you believe you shouldn't have and the outer appearance of your body. In other words you lose the skill of inner reflection, an ability to look internally to find peace and happiness rather than projecting it on external factors and expectations.

Conscious Eating is therefore not just about food, it encompass a wide variety of skills based around reflection on...

* Your thoughts about food
* Your thoughts about yourself
* The effect different foods have on your body
* How you feel when you are eating and have eaten
* How you use food as a fuel not a comforter
* How you love yourself

These are the skills you have lost, the many and varied habits of 'Conscious Eating'. The first step in regaining them is to shed your fear of food and learn to love it again. It is fear that holds you trapped in old and unhelpful habits with food. After all, if they were useful would you be struggling in a battle with food and weight after all this time? Wouldn't you have lost the weight and kept it off easily?

Many of the Conscious Eating skills are those used by people who have never had a weight or size issue and so have never dieted. They are a rare breed that believe they are beautiful just as they are. They have no problem accepting the shape of the body they genetically inherited from their parents. They have no problem ignoring what others and society portray as the 'perfect' body shape. They sometimes have a wardrobe of clothes in 2 different sizes because they accept their weight fluctuation between seasons. They may even have no problem accepting a change in shape and size, as they get older. These are the people you can learn a great deal from about Conscious Eating. They hold many of the keys of how you regain control and power over the food you eat, and how to eat to live rather than live to eat.

Chrissie Webber is a published author, business coach and leadership trainer. As Managing Director of Life-Shapers Ltd she is developing her online weight-loss motivation company http://www.lifeshapers.co.uk into a franchise of Life Shapers Weight Management Coaches.

Her track record in the area of weight management is firstly a personal one. Following a lifetime of weight issues - at her heaviest, over 21 stone and a massive size 30 - she has personal experience of diets and their devastating effect on size and psyche.

With a background in nursing, psychology and business coaching, coupled with a lifetime of dieting, she developed and successfully used a series of models and tools that enhance weight loss motivation. Now over 5 dress sizes smaller and having sustained her weight loss for several years she has written a book about her motivational journey. Weight Loss, Life Gain - A Motivational Journey to Permanent Weight Loss was published in January 2008 by Accent Press.

Her Blog http://www.chrissiewebber.co.uk and free monthly eZine now offer support to others.