Health Improvement Blog

Losing Weight with Supplements Posted By : Bob Taylor

July 20, 2007 on 5:00 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off Many consumers find that they are wasting their hard-earned money and that many of the supplements have no effect on their waistline, and the only thing that is slimming down is the wallet. Physicians warn that many unscrupulous marketers will make impossible claims in order to get buyers to walk through the virtual doors of their marketplace.

Do you know which the best dietary supplements are?
Chances are, you do not know. What some consumers may consider the best weight loss supplements will have little or no effect for other consumers who try them. After all, there are so many weight loss pills on the market right now, that it is hard to understand how each of them works, and what their claims to fame are. Similarly, it is hard to know what the risks of the individual supplements are, especially since many of them are formulated quite differently from one another.

If you are trying to lose some weight, the odds are pretty good that suddenly you are paying much more attention to the television ads that tout the benefits of a host of dietary supplements. It may appear as though the floodgates have opened, because when you open your newspaper, you cannot help but see the ads for dietary supplements are there as well. Of course, the same can also be said of your email inbox.

As a matter of fact, between ephedra diet pills, ephedra free pills, and the latecomer to the bunch – Hoodia – it is not surprising for many dieters to simply purchase the newest addition to the market, and hope for the best. According to doctors, the best weight loss supplements are the ones that not only work, but that also will not have any counterproductive effect on medications you may already be taking, and that will also not add stress to your heart. So before taking any dietary supplements, please be safe and visit your doctor!

Weight Loss Surgery: Get Yourself a new Look Posted By : Nicholas Bowen

July 18, 2007 on 5:00 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off God has made all his creations beautiful and we as humans should make sure that we continue looking the way god has made us. At times due to circumstances, we tend to ignore the way we look. This at times leads to some major problems wherein we later on realize that we should have been more careful about ourselves. Nevertheless, as it has been quoted that it is never too late. Therefore, we always get a second chance to improve ourselves. If you are the one who is suffering from excessive body weight then you should pull up your socks and start working on your weaknesses to make yourself better. Among the various options that are available for reducing body weight, weight loss surgery is one of the most effective and suitable option to go in for when you consider going in for a weight loss program. In fact, statistics show that weight loss surgery has a good success ratio therefore giving you a clean chit to go in for weight loss surgery.

Shedding those extra kilos is not an easy task. In fact, it is a tedious process wherein you will have to be patient and at the same time have faith in the process that you have opted for to reduce your weight. When you decide to go in for weight loss surgery, you will have to consult a doctor before you actually go in for the process. Weight loss surgery is a surgical process that can help an over weight person reduce his or her weight. What happens in weight loss surgery is that the body’s intake of food is reduced by undergoing the surgery. Nevertheless, this does not mean that you will have to avoid the normal consumption of food.

Doctors generally suggest someone for weight loss surgery when the other methods fail to reduce the weight. Okay, now there are certain facts that you must have a look at before you go in for the weight loss surgery. The first thing that you will need is to find out the various criterions that will be required for you to be eligible to undergo the weight loss surgery. Some of the criteria are mentioned below:

* You must be above the age of eighteen and below fifty-five years to undergo the surgery.

* If you are suffering from morbid obesity, you are a candidate for weight loss surgery. Your body weight must be over 100 pounds from your ideal body weight.

* Your Body Mass index must be forty or higher so that you can be eligible for the surgery. Your BMI is an important determinant for weight loss surgery.

* The period of your obesity is also very important. You are eligible for weight loss surgery only if you have been obese for a minimum time of five years.

* If you are suffering from medical problems like diabetes, swelling and pain in the body because of being overweight, then you are eligible for undergoing the surgery.

* Having mental stability is very important for a person who wishes to undergo weight loss surgery. A person who is undergoing treatment for any type of psychiatric condition is not eligible for weight loss surgery.

Now that you know the various criterions for undergoing a weight loss surgery you can get an appointment with a doctor who can help you undergo the weight loss surgery and get back in shape with full confidence.

10 Things You Should Avoid When Trying To Lose Weight Posted By : Michael Anthony

July 18, 2007 on 5:00 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off Losing weight and dieting is never easy. Actually, it is one of the hardest things for some people to do. Here's 10 things to avoid that could make you shatter your diet and start eating. Avoid all of these like plague if you want to be successful.

1. Avoid rushing into the strictest diet you can find.

This is a common mistake. Many people, in desperation, decide to follow a super-strict diet and that usually leads to failure. You should not be rushing into diets that are going to be too strict for your needs. If you don't have any dieting experience and are not 100% sure you can stick with the diet, choose another one.

2. Avoid losing touch with reality.

You can't realistically expect things to happen over night. When choosing your goal, start small, but be prepared to go far. If you come across someone that says they have lost a large amount of weight in a short time, don't try to keep up with their results. Diet results are different from one person to another.

3. Avoid going to the gym every day.

Another common mistake is to use the excitement of the first days to hit the gym every day. This won't help you at all. Your body needs time to heal and expand the muscles after each work-out and going to the gym every day interferes with this natural process. A week of non-stop training could never offset ten or twenty years of couch potato lifestyle anyway.

4. Avoid getting tough on calories.

We all know that cutting down on calories is one of the foundations of all diets, but be careful about it. Cut down on too many calories and your body will start storing anything it possibly can. This is not a good way to lose weight.

5. Avoid skipping meals.

Many people reason that foregoing meal or two is going to help them lose weight faster. They don't understand that dieting is all about eating the right food and not starving yourself.

6. Avoid daily weight checks.

Everybody is eager to see the results of their efforts in the form of pounds lost, but you should not let this drive you to checking your weight everyday. The daily changes in your weight will make you depressed and ready to give up your dieting. This is something you want to avoid at all costs.

7. Avoid letting emotions hamper your diet goals.

Aside from the eagerness that drives people to check their weight every day, there are other emotions that influence dieting. If you know you're used to reaching out for ice-cream or snacks when you are bored, frustrated or angry, then you should deal with these issues and not allow them to come between you and your purpose.

8. Avoid refusing to get help.

Not everyone was born with iron will and nerves of steel. There are times when you may need help or advice. Don't hesitate to ask friends or professionals for it. Don't try to solve all problems by yourself.

9. Avoid denying yourself your favourite foods.

Treats are a great way of raising your determination and willpower. Diets are methods of food control. They should not hold you hostage. So what, if you eat something you said you wouldn't once in a while, especially if it's one of your favorite foods? If these treats are not indulged in frequently, they won't make any difference in the long run.

10. Avoid relying too much in your own willpower.

Use your head too. If you need to know how much you actually eat, write down everything you are eating and go over the list with a fine-toothed comb for things that should not be there. Sometimes hunger creeps up on you and makes you eat things that you shouldn't be eating. If you stay honest with yourself and keep a clear head as you go, you'll be fine.

Two Effective Exercises To Lose Belly Fat Posted By : Shafir Ahmad

July 17, 2007 on 5:00 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off One of the biggest concerns of overweight people is having a belly fat and how to remove this stubborn fat effectively.  Belly fat is indeed unsightly and for some people it hinders their social activity for fear of ridicule and shame.  They are unable to show up in bikinis or wear flattering clothes and this will affect their self-esteem.

Firstly you must remember to not stress out about these things because when you are stressed there is a tendency of becoming a victim of Metabolic Syndrome, a problem related to binge eating that gives rise to not just obesity problem but other health problems as well.  The stress hormone causes excessive body fat to accumulate around the waist and tummy.

Key factor that causes excess stomach fat is basically still due to improper diet and lack of exercise.  The fat that sits around our middle is called abdominal fat, also known as visceral fat and the more we have abdominal fat, the higher the risk of diseases related to insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease and others.  This is because Visceral fat sits deeper in the body than the other type of fat called subcutaneous fat, which is located just under the skin.

According to research, a modest exercise program which is equivalent to a 30-minute brisk walking for 6 times a week can prevent visceral fat to accumulate.

There are however two of the best exercises to help lose belly fat and these are the bicycle maneuver and the captain's chair.

1) Bicycle Maneuver

Lie down with your lower back pressed into the floor and your hands clasped lightly behind your head. Then you bend your knees to about a 45-degree angle from the floor. Lift your shoulders off the floor, and bring your left knee to your right elbow simultaneously,  while straightening your right leg.

Using a bicycle-pedaling motion, straighten your left knee, bring the right knee in toward the left elbow. Then you extend your legs out only as far as is comfortable without arching your back. Continue alternating, keeping the movement slow and controlled.

2) Captain's Chair

If you do this at home, sit up straight in a firm, armless chair. Grab the chair's edges just in front of your hips. While supporting yourself with your hands, slowly draw your knees up toward your chest, keeping your lower back pressed against the chair. Hold, then slowly lower.

If you are at the gym, use a captain's chair, stabilize your upper body by gripping the handholds and lightly pressing your lower back against the back pad. Start by holding your body up and letting your legs dangle below. Tilt your pelvis forward, and slowly bring your knees toward your chest. Lower your legs only until they form a 90-degree angle with the floor, before lifting them again. Keep the motion of raising and lowering your legs very controlled.

There are of course other ways to lose belly fat but these two exercises have been researched to yield effective results.  So if you are anxious to lose your belly fat you can try these first.

10 Weight Loss Tips for Permanent Weight Loss Posted By : Brooke Castillo

July 17, 2007 on 5:00 am | In Uncategorized | Comments Off 1. Eat only when you are hungry.

This means stop eating the minute you are full. This means if you go out to dinner and eat all the bread in the breadbasket you don't eat your dinner. This means if it is lunch break at work and you aren't hungry don't eat. This means if you are in the middle of a sandwich and you are no longer hungry, you stop eating.

2. When you aren't hungry and eating for joy only, make sure you are eating something fantastic and tasting every bite.

There will be times when you want to eat just for the joy of it. I say if you only do this 10% of the time you can still lose weight. But the trick is to make sure you enjoy each bite, taste it fully and stop as soon as the joy of eating it fades. If you pay attention, you will be surprised how soon this might be.

3. Be curious about yourself-not judgmental.

When you do something that you think is "off" you plan of what you would like to be doing, be curious and try to find out why you do what you do. Explore the thoughts that lead to the action. Be kind and understanding with yourself. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt.

4. Believe it is possible to be thin without being mean to yourself.

You do not have to beat yourself into submission for thinness. In fact, I have found the opposite is true. Loving yourself and being kind to yourself is a much better path to permanent weight loss.

5. Feel your feelings.

Be anxious. (Don't eat.) Be sad. (Don't eat.) Be afraid. (Don't eat.) Be angry. (Don't eat.) If you use eating as an alternative to feeling you are most likely going to be overweight. The sooner you feel your feelings the sooner they will subside.

6. Stop expecting things "out there" to change so you can feel better.

Don't wait for a better job, a thinner body, a nicer husband or a better tasting diet in order to be happy. You can be the source of your own joy by finding out what you love to do and who you love to be. By living your own truth, you can be happy no matter what is going on "out there."

7. Even when you think you have "blown it" write down every piece of food that goes into your mouth and then read that list with fascination.

It may feel better to write in the food journal when you are eating fuel most of the time, but that is not when it is the most important. When you are fog eating and storm eating and binging and going crazy with food, you have the best opportunity to learn about yourself and why you do what you do. No matter how much you have eaten and no matter how big the binge was, write down every single thing that went into your mouth and look at it with kind curiosity.

8. Realize that eating when you aren't hungry is not satisfying hunger or comforting you-it's just making you heavy.

Notice the terminology you use when discussing food. " I had my chocolate fix." " I needed comfort food." "I wanted to give myself a treat." Food is not a good source of emotional comfort and it cannot fix you.

9. Remember the past does not equal the future

We have all been on many many diets. Many of us have been heavy a long time. This does not mean that you can't lose weight. You have been doing the best you can. And when you know better- you do better- and you look better….

10. Never give up!

Enough said.