Personalized Weight Loss Plans — Breaking the Yo-Yo Cycle of Failed Diets
Dieting will continue to fail most dieters, unless personalized weight loss plans become more available. A diet designed for a mass market will fail because the diet assumes everything is constant or the same between dieters. Not so.
Personalized weight loss plans have a better chance of succeeding because the personal habits, ideas, and goals of each dieter are used in the design of the diet.
It comes down to, “What is good for you may not be good for me.”
Personalized Weight Loss Plans — The Positives
Personalized weight loss plans, regardless of diet type, are successful for a variety of reasons. An ongoing study comparing dieters on personalized plans and dieters on standardized plans so far demonstrates the following:
1). Dieters stick with personalized plans.
The longer you are in a weight-loss program the more weight you will lose. The trend (no statistical analysis has been performed to date) suggests personalized plans keep dieters motivated longer.
This may help dieters get over the 6th to 8th week hump — weight loss was easy early but around week 8 becomes difficult.
2). Dieters on personalized plans normalize eating.
To be successful, a person must learn to reassociate eating with hunger. Learning to slow down to allow satiety to catch up with eating is one way to effect this change. This is why binge eaters tend to have the least success with losing weight long term, even though many will appear to be doing very well early in a diet. Personalize their diet and they have a better chance of long term success.
3). Dieters on personalized plans build support networks.
Dieters with personalized weight loss plans generally seek the help of a mentor, guide, or friend more often than dieters on standardized plans.
They tend to build networks of support. Why? Dieters on personalized plans are succeeding. This naturally leads to more motivation to continue and investigate other avenues to help continue their success.
4). Dieters on personalized plans are physically active.
A study from the early nineties concluded that exercise helps long-term weight loss but not short-term. I say it doesn’t matter. Eventually, a large enough study that is properly designed will show that exercise at any time in life is beneficial.
This can not be stressed enough…exercise is paramount to your success. Dieters exercise more with personalized weight loss plans.
The best kind is a mix between aerobic exercises and resistance training. The result is toned muscle and protection from age related weight gain.
5). Dieters on personalized plans have control.
Dr. Gene Ogden in her study back in 1993 found that the women who believed their weight problems were caused by their own choices, rather than by metabolism or genetics, were more successful. They believed that they were in control of their weight and, therefore, believed they could lose weight. Personalized Weight Loss Plans give dieters control.
Personalized Diet Plan (PDP) Study — The Family Associates in Dallas, Texas. Lead investigator is Dr. Steve Walters. According to Dr. Walters, there are approximately 25 overweight patients in each arm and that full publication is expected by August 2005.
This article does not represent final statistical results nor is it associated with The Family Associates.
Interestingly, dieters think they can’t lose weight because of circumstances beyond their control. The blame is usually placed on their “slow” metabolisms, their dad’s large frame or the diet itself.
The solution…personalized weight loss plans. Put the dieter in control, let him own it, and then watch him succeed. Now, this is not letting the dieter design his own diet, instead, tweak the diet he chooses to fit his lifestyle.
Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland in Baltimore and author of Fight Fat Over Forty (Viking, 2000) said, “You have to believe that you will drop some weight and then begin that journey. Once you believe success is possible, you’ll feel less intimidated by the challenges along the way.”
Healthy Living!
Michael A. Smith, M.D.
Additional Information is available at The Weight Loss Professional
Dr. Smith is the primary physician and consultant for the Weight Loss Professional Website. His interests include preventative medicine, the genetic etiology of obesity, and several others too numerous to list. Please visit his Website at http://www.weight-loss-professional.com and let him know what you think.
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Obesity- Childhood Weight Problems Increasing
With the growing trend in obesity, childhood is now often the time when weight problems start. In fact, amongst children and teenagers obesity has already reached epidemic proportions in many parts of the developed world. This is an area of growing concern amongst health care professionals, as obese children and teenagers are more likely to become obese adults than are their thinner friends.
In addition, obese children are also have a shorter life expectation than would otherwise be the case, with the result that many of today?s youngsters will die before their parents. And what parent wishes to outlive his or her children?
The illnesses associated with obesity include diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, infertility and depression. Children who are obese could find themselves suffering from these conditions as young adults unless steps are taken to help them lose weight.
There are many reasons for childhood obesity and these need to be dealt with sensitively. Young people are just finding their identity and harsh criticism can undermine attempts to get them to lose weight. However, they should be encouraged to take as much responsibility for their eating habits as possible.
Enabling children to understand the consequences of unhealthy eating as early in life is important, as this can help avoid overweight, but what if they are already addicted to junk food? Families need to work together on this and parents should set a good example by what they eat themselves and should get their kids involved in shopping and cooking. It is also crucial to remember that children are still growing and so must not be deprived of essential nutrients. Therefore very restrictive diets should be avoided, except in extremely severe cases of obesity, and then only under medical supervision.
Parents should also make a point of listening to their children and taking time to discover the underlying reasons for their offsprings? overeating. Kids, like adults, eat for psychological reasons and it?s important to be aware of any causes of unhappiness, such as bullying or too much pressure to do well at school.
It is important to address the problem as early as possible, as it becomes more difficult to deal with the more overweight the child becomes. In the early stages, it may be possible to get things back on track with a few changes in diet and a bit more exercise, both of which can be undertaken by the whole family. However, if overweight has become a serious problem, it is essential to enlist professional help. Obesity, childhood or otherwise, is a major health risk and combating it involves adopting a healthy way of life for ever, not just until an acceptable weight has been reached.
? Waller Jamison 2007
Kick start the whole family?s weight loss programme with a New Weight Loss Strategy every week
Kids stuck in front of the computer or TV? Here are some Fat Burning Moves They Do at Their Computer
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7 Ways to Increase Metabolism and Lose Weight
If you are tired of trying the latest diet fad and getting little or now results then maybe it?s time you tried the time honored method of losing weight. By a simple increase in your metabolism you can start to burn more calories and actually lose weight without having to starve yourself. The best part of increasing your metabolism is it is the best way to keep the weight of too. Metabolism is basically the rate at which your body burns calories. The higher it goes the more calories it consumes.
?But how do I do that?? you ask. Here are 7 ways that you can increase your metabolism and lose that excess baggage.
1. Sleep more ? You need at a minimum 8 hours of sleep per night. Studies have been done that show people who sleep less then 8 hours per night have a slower metabolism then those who get in a good nights rest. Also those who do not get enough sleep tend to eat more during the day trying to keep their energy levels up, which is not good when your metabolism has slowed down.
2. Evening exercise ? As the day progresses our metabolic rate declines so that by the time late afternoon and early evening arrive we are no longer burning calories at the rate we were in the morning. Take a quick walk or do some other form of exercise that revs up your metabolic engine. It doesn?t have to be a full blown workout, just get the heart pumping and the blood flowing.
3. Get moving ? Getting your body moving is a great way to increase metabolism. Go for a walk at lunch instead of surfing the internet at work, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park you car in the space farthest away from the door where you work, things like this will go a long ways towards burning excess calories.
4. Eat some protein ? Protein helps stabilize the amount of insulin in your bloodstream. Too much or too little insulin can play havoc with your metabolism.
5. Eat more meals ? The key to increasing your metabolism is keeping a consistent flow of calories throughout the day. Instead of eating three big meals eat 5 or 6 smaller meals during the day. This gives you body a consistent supply of energy all day long. And don?t skip meals; this can actually slow down your metabolism.
6. The food you eat ? Eat nutritious high fiber foods. By eating healthy you give your body the nutrients it needs to run efficiently. In fact it is believed that some foods require so much digestive processing that they actually burn more calories then they contain.
7. Lift some weights ? Lean muscle mass burns lots of calories. Lifting weights not only shapes your body but as your muscles rebuild and recover after a workout they continue to burn large amounts of calories. This means you can actually lose weight while your are resting.
By following these 7 metabolism increasing tips you can turn your body into a fat burning machine. And the best part is no more strange diets that leave you feeling hungry and tired all day long.
For more ways to increase your metabolism and for more information about how your metabolism works please click here.
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Prescription Weight Loss Pills
Weight loss pills come in three varieties - prescription, over-the-counter, and natural herbal supplements. From the three, the prescription weight loss pills are the most difficult because the only way to purchase these is to present a medical doctor’s prescription. The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration continues to test and monitor these products since there are lots of pills that are introduced in the market which have harmful side effects to consumers.
Prescription weight loss pills can be purchased at a drugstore, pharmacy, and health food or vitamin store. Before these pills are introduced to the market, extensive testing occurs first which actually takes years of research. Because of this, they are often the most effective products that you can purchase if you want to lose weight without having to go to the gym and do rigid workout.
How prescription weight loss pills work?
Prescription weight loss pills work by using one of two primary strategies. These work either to suppress your appetite or to block your body’s ability to absorb fat.
Often, those who eat more than the given meals in a day are overweight. That is why when you take these pills, your brain will be stimulated into thinking that your stomach is still full, thus you will not be tempted to eat. However, these pills do not necessarily mean that you have to skip meals. You still have to eat your usual meals everyday because skipping meals will not be good for your health.
Aside from suppressing the appetite, prescription pills also block the ability of the body to absorb fat by reducing your body’s lipase enzyme. With the lesser amount of this enzyme in your body, the lesser the fat it can also absorb. Therefore, you will also lose weight easily since there is lesser fat the body needs to burn.
Whether you want appetite suppressants or pills that block the body from absorbing fat, prescription weight loss pills may be the effective products for you.
Weight Loss Pills provides detailed information on Weight Loss Pills, Prescription Weight Loss Pills, Natural Weight Loss Pills, Weight Loss Pill Reviews and more. Weight Loss Pills is affiliated with Natural Weight Loss Products.
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Weight Loss & Diet Failures? Forget Trying to Lose Weight - Start Finding Thin
How many diet failures and weight loss attempts have you experienced? If you’re like 99% of Americans - you can’t count your diet failures and failed weight loss attempts. Would you like to know why?
We can help ? take a moment to look at the following thoughts about weight loss, diet failures and all those attempts to lose weight.
The concept of diet and weight loss is entirely flawed. Think about it ? how often do you try to ?lose? anything? As human beings, it?s unnatural for us to try to lose things ? including weight loss. Do you set out to make more money or lose more poverty? Do you try to look more attractive or less ?ugly?? Do we seek more happiness or less sadness? Do you see the trend in our thinking? We grow up being told to be responsible, don?t lose our keys, don?t lose our homework, etc. We?re simply not ?wired? to lose things ? weight loss included.
Sure, everyone has experienced the feeling of a little weight loss while on a diet ? but did you find thin? Did you reach your goal? Do you look and feel like you desire? Did you regain the weight? It?s frustrating isn?t it? It doesn?t have to be that way. It?s not your fault. Learn a new approach to reaching your weight loss goals.
Begin to think in terms of ?finding thin? rather than ?losing weight?. It?s ok to have that goal of weight loss, but think of it in terms of how you would like to see yourself. For example, I see myself healthy, smiling and sexy ? while weighing in at 125 pounds. As your focus turns away from diet and weight loss ? you?ll begin to focus on the person you seek to become. This approach is much more natural and in line with our basic human tendencies. People tend to gravitate and accomplish things they truly want ? not lose things they don?t want.
Take that first step, write out a description of the person you seek to become. Write down the details and get a real clear picture of your future self. Then, think of those things you believe will be required to become that person. Don?t worry about the weight loss needed. Focus on things such as diet, eating healthy, exercise, attitude, etc. Most importantly, focus on finding thin and forget about weight loss. When you learn to think in this way on a daily basis ? you will find thin.
E Lawrence Welch
Mr. Welch is a student of business, life, love, marriage and relationships. Also, he owns and operates an online retail holster store - Pyle Mountain Holsters. Additionally, he maintains a Marriage & Love Blog. Also, take a look at this Cute Weight Loss Merchandise.
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How To Gain Muscle And Burn Fat
As perplexing as it sounds, it is possible to gain muscle and burn fat; however, most people try to go about it the wrong way.
Of course, it would be foolish to think that you could only make this happen by diet alone. On the other hand, drugs aren?t needed either. What is needed is a new, fresh way of approaching things that will guarantee to shake up your body.
The Energy Flux Approach
When learning how to gain muscle and burn fat, we need to turn to a phenomenon call ?energy flux?. There are a few different articles on energy flux out there so I?m not going to do into a huge amount of detail here. Basically, the more energy (both intake and outtake) we can force through the body, the more the body has to repair, and the more body fat we lose overall.
Naturally, we don?t want our intake to supercede our intake but we do want this total to be as high as possible.
When we do this, the body knows that it doesn?t need to hold on to body fat due to the demands of our exercise plus the continuous influx of food. Also, due to this huge exercise induced calorie burn, the body naturally wants to rise to the challenge and improve.
Not A Steady-State Cardio Approach
Sprint work and other anaerobic type activities should make up most of your cardiovascular training. On the other hand, our weight training should focus on compound exercises like squats, rows, etc? not curls or triceps kick backs.
Our goal is burning the most calories we can in the shortest amount of time. This will trigger repair which will trigger a raise in metabolism. This in turn gives us the ?after burn? effect that we so covet.
If you want to know how to gain muscle and burn fat, all you have to do is look at a sprinter and mimic the workouts that they do. I guarantee you?ll accomplish more.
Brad Howard loves delving into the “meat and potatoes” of all of the misinformation generated by the diet and fitness industry today.
An industry veteran for years, his Fat Loss Black Book completely shatters all of the myths and misguided, outdated advice being propagated today.
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Why Most Weight Loss Programs Are Scams and Why Virtually All Diets Are
The claim that most weight loss programs are scams and why virtually all diets are, is a strong statement, and not proclaimed casually. However, it is a firm belief rooted in the facts and supported by my direct experience.
It is almost counter-intuitive but most people who pay to join a diet or commercial weight loss program do so with the underlying assumption that this will be the last diet they will ever have to engage. Like it or not, this is the implicit, very subtle value proposition offered to the public.
The facts are something quite different however. Commercial weight loss programs do not disclose their results because they know exactly what they are. And, the public is the last one they would really want to share the information. Why? Because they fail 95 of every 100 customers that hire them. This is horrible but true. There are really three points to be made here:
First, most diets simply are not effective. Allow me to say this another way, ?They do not work.? All of this presupposes that the public is interested in the service delivering what it promises. Diets and commercial weight loss programs do not. Again, they fail every 9 in 10 people.
Secondly, most weight loss programs and diets defy common sense. Think about what happens on a ?diet? for one second. First, the dieter makes temporary changes while on the diet. The dieter loses weight, then the dieter returns to the foods he or she really enjoys eating (after having been restricted from those foods, while on the diet). After this return to ?regular? life, real life, the dieter begins to slowly regain the weight. Do you know anyone who is going to commit to eating mail-order meals, shakes, or bars for the remainder of their days or never having bread again? No would be the correct answer here.
Finally, most weight loss programs and diets do not empower their clients. What I mean by that is most do not provide the client with the tools to be successful once the formal relationship ends. Most do not build their eating plans around the very foods the client enjoys. This is a recipe for disaster once the client returns to the very foods that contributed to the issue at the outset. For example, clients should be able to distinguish between macro-nutrient groups, they should have a very clear sense of what a portion is, and finally they should have well-established benchmarks as to measure success.
Ultimately, most commercial weight loss programs and diets are scams because they are selling something that they are not delivering upon to their clients. Results. There are very few people anywhere that would tolerate this deal. If you find this difficult to believe, then simply conduct this experiment. Call or go visit you local commercial weight loss program and request to see their published results.
In the final analysis, if your program?s is not prepared to guarantee its results in writing, then you may want to grab your wallet and to sprint in the opposite direction.
Michael Imani, Ph.D. is a diet expert who works with clients to find solutions for weight and life issues. He is the author of The Diet Code: 4 Steps to Permanent Weight Loss. http://www.michaelimanicoaching.com
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Exercise Tips for Firm and Bigger Breasts
Many women who hit the gym have a secret goal they don’t normally tell you. Alot of women want to know the type of exercises required to add a little bit of mass and strength to their chest, in hopes of preventing gravity from taking it’s course on their chest.
A weak back and tight chest muscles can result in poor posture in women. An improved posture, however would create the illusion of a firmer and bigger chest. But whatever the reason, it is quite easy to exercise the chest to achieve this.
Well, to save you women from the embarrassment of having to ask that question, here are a few pointers that may prove to be useful. Basically, any chest exercise will help, but women may want to consider the following for a more ‘uplifting’ result:
1. The most popular mass builder is the bench press(which I don’t see enough women doing at the free weights area).
The machine chest press works fine too, but free weights do have their advantages in terms of adding variety to a dull routin and effectiveness, especially if you’ve been dependant on machines for too long. As intimidating as it may look, this is not a ‘men-only’ exercise. Try the bench press with either barbells or dumbbells.
2. Ensure you also include inclined presses into your chest workout.
If you’re female, inclines help to keep your chest up and if you’re male - it will keep you from looking like you have man boobs!
3. Try the Butterfly:
- Lay on the bench/floor/flat ground and hold the weights to your side in your hands when you lay down.
- Now, lift the weights as if you’re trying to meet your hands over top of your chest (imagine you’re hugging a tree trunk, which means don’t bend your elbows too much)
- Hold the peak contraction at the top for a few seconds then return to the start position fully in control of the weights, and repeat.
Be persistent, train hard ,keep your diet in check and the results will show. Hey.. nobody said it would be easy. Then again, you could always opt for surgery. Ouch.
Josh Stone, also known as DM, is the author behind the site http://www.dailymuscle.com which offers the author’s personal views on real-life fitness, bodybuilding, sports nutrition, cardio, fat loss, training information, and on all things that surrounds fitness.
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Diets Not Working, Sometimes Causing Weight Gain, Finds New Study
Following a diet isn’t always the best way to lose weight, concluded University of California researchers after having reviewed many studies on how efficient diets are.
The studies? results show that many people regained the weight they lost after ending the diet, and in some cases even more, said Traci Mann, lead author of the study. Initially, dieters may lose up to ten percent of their body weight, but the weight lost is soon regained, she continued.
Most of the participants regained weight in the longer term, even though some maintained their weight after the diet ended.
Diets cannot provide health benefits or definitive weight loss, said Dr. Mann. Mann and her research team wondered if people are better off without following a diet at all.
They discovered that many people would have been better off without trying a diet in order to lose weight. Dieters won`t see substantial changes regarding their weight, and their bodies may suffer from the repeated lost and regain of weight, said Dr Mann.
Repeated weight loss may have unwanted health effects such as diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, or altered immune functions, said Dr Mann. Specialists noticed that up to sixty-six percent of the participants to the reviewed studies regained in the following five years the weight lost through a diet.
Researchers say the situation may be even worse because the figures don`t reflect reality in totality. The key that may help people maintain their weight is working out and eating in moderation. Exercise is important for people who try to sustain weight loss. Studies proved that those who exercised more, lost more weight, said Dr Mann.
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Top 10 Hints That I Need a Diet
I don?t know about you but I?d rather laugh than cry when life sneaks up on me and cracks me right between the eyes. Case in point: my weight.
It wasn?t that long ago that I was arguably in the best shape of my adult life. But being the yo-yo dieter that I am ? with emphasis on the yo-yo part ? I not only lost most of my muscle tone and gained back the fat, but I packed on a few extra pounds for bad measure.
Now, I could look at the scale number, throw myself on my bed and sob over my self-inflicted misfortune. But that?s not my style. Instead, I?m gonna take a lighthearted (at least something around here is light!) look at the 10 sure signs I am desperately in need of a diet. See if you can relate.
No. 10: I find myself sucking air after performing the acrobatic maneuver needed to get socks on my feet. Like some contortionist from Cirque de Soleil, I have to perfectly gauge the distance I need to bend at the waist with the distance I need to lift my leg. Accuracy is everything. I can only hold this position for seconds at a time without aborting the mission and gasping for breath!
No. 9: To get my pants buttoned or snapped, I have to lie on the bed and flop about and groan like the demon-possessed girl in the Exorcist. Scary behavior like this means you?re fat or that you are too cheap to replace the jeans you wore in high school? 20 years ago!
No. 8: I need to steer with my knees because both my hands are busy holding my 64-ounce full-sugar fountain soft drink. If I am drinking the bucket-sized sodas, I am in trouble. It means I have chosen gluttony over portion control.
No. 7: I have a gut. And the lower portion of that gut sports the unmistakable markings of my car’s steering wheel. This phenomenon usually leads to…
No. 6: My driver’s seat is reclined so far back that I can easily touch the rear window by scratching my ear. Yep, this is a sure sign that I am fat ? and I am desperately trying to escape Hint No. 7.
No. 5: My pile of picked-clean chicken bones resembles the sun-bleached skeletons found in old pirate movies. I know I’ve been especially thorough if Scruffy, my ever-hungry golden retriever, turns up his nose at the barren bones I’ve just finished working over.
No. 4: Shirts with a single X on the size label aren’t comfy enough. Same goes for pants with waistlines of less than 40.
No. 3: The Mansierre (or Bro) episode of Seinfeld stops being funny because, like Frank Costanza, I too could use a tad more support… up there.
No. 2: A wrestling match with my kids and dog clocks in shorter than the commercials aired between evening news segments. I need the remainder of that annoying Cialis ad to catch my breath? and to slurp s little of my supersized Pepsi.
No. 1: I know I am fat when I play Dracula and avoid mirrors at all costs. Hey, it’s easier to remain in denial if you don’t have to come face to face with those chipmunk cheeks that sort of resemble yours… only much heavier!
Please don?t get mad at me for picking on a fat person. I am that fat person. But I won?t let this knowledge mire me in the sadness and depression that leads to inaction.
Smile? with the proper motivation, support, fitness and diet, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
John McGran, a.k.a. Mr. Bad Food, is co-creator of http://www.BadFoodGoodFood.com and president of nargcm communications, inc. Prior to launching his own businesses, McGran served seven years as editor-in-chief of the online healthy living Web site eDiets.com where he honed his skills of writing about food in an entertainingly informative style. When he isn?t researching new foods, McGran is playing hubby to his wife Barbara and daddy to his kids, Jonathan, 10, and Caelyn, 8, at his home in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
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