We all know that the best way-perhaps the only way-to get the body to surrender its fat stores (something it clearly hates to do) is through exercise and reduced calorie intake.

We also know, however, that the body is particularly adept at adjusting its own internal systems in the face of exercise and, particularly, reduced food intake. It does this, of course, by adjusting to the exercise (thus the need to increase intensity) and by slowing down the metabolism (which consequently slows down fat burning). It’s a perfectly natural survival instinct of the body. You see, in the face of fewer calories coming in, the body would much rather slow down the metabolism than give up the fat stores.

This is one of the main reasons why when you start out on a fat loss program you tend to make very good progress in the short term (maybe for a few weeks or a month), but you eventually reach a point where progress tapers off significantly. This is the body reacting and adjusting in a way that, unfortunately, hampers further fat reduction.

It’s at this crucial point that Metabolic Thyrolean steps in. You see, this formula contains ingredients that in a sense urge your body to continue to run your metabolism on high and burn up fat tissue.

HOW IT WORKS
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By focusing on three key biological areas associated with metabolism-the liver, the thyroid, and the brain- the scientific formula in Metabolic Thyrolean seeks to establish an environment within the body where metabolism and fat burning are optimized.

Let me try to explain without getting overly technical. In the thyroid gland, the reaction to a reduced calorie intake is a parallel reduction in the conversion of the hormone T4 into T3. T3 is much more metabolically active than T4, so any reduction in T3 is unwanted from the perspective of burning fat.

One of the active ingredients in Metabolic Thyrolean is guggulsterones, which have proven to stimulate production of T3 thus helping to maintain high metabolic rates.

Now most of the conversion of thyroid hormones takes place, of course, in the liver and is regulated by a particular molecule known as ATP. Once again, a reduction in calorie intake leads to a reduction in ATP stores.

The natural phosphates contained in Metabolic Thyrolean can help to maintain higher ATP stores in the liver. This in turn can lead to better thyroid hormone conversion and higher levels of the metabolically active T3.

Finally, when you drop your calorie intake, your brain has an interesting and significant chemical response: neurotransmitters in the brain, which also play an important role in metabolism, become less abundant. Again, Metabolic Thyrolean attempts to address this problem by stimulating the production of these neurotransmitters primarily through the inclusion of the amino acid L-Tyrosine. L-Tyrosine is a known precursor to important neurotransmitters which naturally stimulate the metabolism.

THE HARD EVIDENCE
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Moving beyond the science behind Metabolic Thyrolean, it’s perhaps most important to investigate the actual clinical effects that this supplement has. Here again, the early results are extremely positive.

In a six week study of individuals on moderate exercise (three 45 minute aerobic sessions per week) and reduced calorie programs (1,800 calories per day), the group supplementing with Metabolic Thyrolean lost over 3 TIMES MORE FAT than the control group or the group given a placebo. Needless to say, that’s a very significant and positive result. Here’s the details:

Pounds of Fat Lost
Control = 2.9 lbs.
Placebo = 3.0 lbs.
Metabolic Thyrolean = 9.48 lbs.

BOTTOM LINE
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Slim Fast and the Slim Fast diet plan have been around for more than 20 years now. Without a doubt they have become the most popular diet shake around. But, does this weight loss plan really work?

The Slim Fast Diet Plan

The Slim Fast plan is not difficult to follow. You have a Slim Fast shake for breakfast in the morning and another one for lunch. For dinner, the plan calls for a “sensible” meal. Sensible can mean many different things to people, but that’s another story.

You can also have two pieces of fruit each day as well as one of Slim Fast’s nutritional bars.

The shakes and nutritional bars can be purchased at any grocery store or Wal-Mart.

The Slim Fast diet plan also includes regular exercise and encourages you to drink 8 glasses of water a day. These are two important points and keys to success in any type of weight loss program.

Does the plan work?

The Slim Fast plan will reduce your daily calories to around 1200 if you eat that sensible dinner each night. This means that anyone should lose weight with the plan.

While you can definitely lose weight with Slim Fast, there are some drawbacks. Since this is a calorie restricted diet, you may not get enough vitamins and minerals to maintain good health. A multi vitamin could help.

The reliance on making yourself a sensible dinner can also be difficult. Because you have only had 2 shakes all day along with a piece of fruit, you’re going to be hungry. It’s very easy to get carried away at dinner. It will take some extra discipline to make it work.

Carbohydrates are not evil. There seems to be a very big trend that seems to suggest that carbs are not good for you unless your a marathon runner or something. Or that they just make you fat. Your weight lifting diet actually benefits from carbs when consumed sensibly. Any weight lifting diet that attempts to cancel them out completely should be questioned. (No, I’m not talking about Atkins, it has it’s place)

Question: What is one of the key factors when you need to bulk up while following you weight lifting diet.

Answer: Energy.

If your body lacks the fuel that it needs to burn energy and repair itself, you will have a serious lag in your ability to build muscle. Carbohydrates are a source of this fuel. Carb intake for a “weight loss” is very different for carb intake for a weight lifting diet.

There are other factors but for now lets look at Carbohydrates.

Come good sources of carbohydrates are pasta, rice, potatoes, fruit and veggies. Carbs should be consumed with the future in mind. What I mean is just as they say your decisions today shape your success tomorrow, the carbs you eat to day help your workout tomorrow.

It takes time for you body to process a meal and convert carbs into usable energy. There are some forms that are in drinks that take effect faster but in our weight lifting diet we need to plan ahead.

I’m not gonna try to confuse you by talking about good carbs and bad carbs and all that scientific stuff. I bet you that if you asked Arnold if he cared about good and bad carbs he’d probably laugh at you and might say, in his notable accent, “I would just workout and then go get a healthy meal, I could care less about how it works, it just does”.

You should make sure that you have a carb packed meal after a good workout and something to hydrate you and replenish your electrolytes. Do not consume things with refined sugar or even any of those “just like sugar” products.

Your weight lifting diet should be carb enriched but not over done because when you finally get to the burning stages to chisel and burn excess weight to give you that statuesque look you don’t want to have to join “The Biggest Loser” just to do it.

As a matter of fact when you see a bodybuilder during the building phases when his carb intake is high, many times they appear to overweight. They know what they’re doing and will come to a time when they shed all of that and that’s when all that you see is muscle and veins.

By the way you need carbs in a weight lifting diet because they help in the production of blood and clotting, your immune system, As a matter of fact when you’re over training your body with bad workout practices your body goes into a specific survival state that switches to burning any source of carbs available and burns minimal fat.

This is one reason why some people say I work out like crazy but I don’t seem to really be losing fat. It’s all about survival and when we put stress on our physiological system, intentionally our bodies have a very cool emergency back up plan. Your weight lifting diet plan should utilize this to your advantage.

Juice fasting is an advanced detoxification technique that speeds up the process that eliminates toxins from the body. It is also a fantastic way to quickly lose weight. Juice fasting has been responsible for changing lives all over the world. It makes people feel healthier, look younger which sky-rockets self esteem and dramatically enhances a person’s life.

Juice fasting involves the intake of only raw vegetables and fruit juices. Both of these substances are rich in antioxidants (which fight free radicals) and vitamins (which are essential for overall health and wellbeing).

Juice fasting is a fairly extreme way for body detoxification and to lose some excess weight. The detox diet is a more gentle way and includes a greater variety of foods; having said that, it’s not quite so effective. It takes longer to detox the body and the rate of weight loss is not quite so extreme.

Some fruits and vegetables commonly used in juice fasting are: parsley, kale, beet greens, chard, spinach, dandelion leaf, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, dark grapes, apples, citrus (especially grapefruit), Açai berry, yucca root, fennel, spearmint, peppermint, basil, ginger, garlic, green onion, chile pepper, fresh turmeric root, milk thistle, juice, spirulina.

Juice fasting is an extreme method to detox the body, so a juice fasting diet should not be embarked upon lightly. You need to seriously weigh up the pros and cons and decide whether or not you are prepared for a mental, physical and spiritual overhaul. You should consult your doctor or health professional before you begin.

Juice fasting is a very extreme method of detoxification. While it is extreme, it is also highly effective. Juice fasting has been responsible for complete life overhaul of many, many people. It is a great (and healthy) method of rapid weight loss. It can lead to a dramatic change in your overall complexion. Your skin will glow and your hair will shine.

Juice fasting is an excellent method to detox the body, but not for some people. For some people, juice fasting could be potentially dangerous or harmful. Are you one of these people?

Juice fasting may not be suitable for people that are…

- Pregnant – your body will undergo some extreme changes that could be potentially damaging to the health of your unborn child.

- Suffering from a variety of diseases and illnesses such as: diabetes, eating disorders, liver disease, low blood sugar, malnutrition, addictions, anorexia, anemia, asthma, low blood pressure, infection, gout, cancer, epilepsy, terminal illnesses.

- People with other chronic conditions should only attempt the juice fast diet with supervised medical attention.

- People currently taking prescription drugs and medication should consult a doctor or medical professional before embarking upon a juice fasting program.

If you don’t suffer from the above, then it is more than likely that you can start the juice fasting diet program. But, as with any extreme change to your traditional lifestyle, you should seriously consider consulting a doctor or health care professional before you begin with the juice fasting program. Good luck!

It can be very frustrating to stay motivated and to lose weight. Sometimes I feel that I am always starting out, but never ending up where I want. But I’ve learned that to stay motivated for me requires setting and achieving small goals. The following tips always helped me lose the weight.

1. Drink more water- I used to drink water sporadically throughout the day, mostly at dinnertime. However, I found that I was dehydrated frequently. I tried carrying a water bottle around with me and it helped me to stay hydrated throughout the day. Plus, drinking first when I felt hungry prevented me from overeating frequently.

2. Divide meals into healthy portions- Dividing a meal into 1/3 veggies, 1/3 carbohydrates, and 1/3 meat will create a balanced meal. Make sure you at least have protein at every meal because it will keep you feeling fuller longer. Add vegetables and fruit into your diet. Rather than focusing on what you can’t eat, focus on what you can eat. Don’t eliminate all your favorite foods, but reserve them for the weekends. You will enjoy them more if you don’t eat them every day. Plus you won’t end up binging because you restricted yourself too much.

3. Weigh in daily with a digital scale- I weighed myself every morning and every night at the same time. A digital scale will show the difference in small tenths and hundredths of the weight so you can see small progress, plus you can track your body fat percentage. This also helps you to track your progress closer. Remember water weight and clothes can cause your weight to fluctuate slightly.

4. Don’t eat carbohydrates a few hours before bed- Restricting carbohydrates before bed will allow you to sleep better and lose weight. If you go to bed slightly hungry (not starving), your body will burn more calories. Eat protein if you get hungry close to bedtime.

Many companies are not waiting until New Years Eve to make resolutions about their total health and wellness program and incorporating weight-loss competitions inspired by a popular TV shows such as “The Biggest Loser.” Corporations are investing big dollars by assisting workers who are concerned about their waistlines. Employers are viewing this as a win-win situation by creating an opportunity to improve employee health, increase productivity, reduce absenteeism and lower health care costs.

From reading many testimonials employees have admitted that they were excited about the contest as they really didn’t have the motivation and willpower necessary to lose weight on their own. Interestingly it seems the idea of a competition built a true camaraderie, team centered environment which kept the motivation and focus on their weight loss targets. Turns out some corporations are seeing extra benefits as it relates to the overall culture with enhanced teamwork and tenacity.

Apparently these contests have spurred it’s contestants to make radical changes to their eating and fitness habits which are even rubbing off on others. It appears, the most popular choice in the soda machine is sparkling water, and it’s common for people to use the stairs instead of elevators and walk or run around the building at lunch.

As a Human Resources Professional and champion of our health and wellness program for my company, this initiative sparked my interest both from corporate perspective and also personally. I too have tried many weight loss programs in the past, trying to lose those pesky pounds but they keep creeping back, so I would try another one and then I was back at square one.

It is very tempting to be one of many companies incorporating this great idea and host a fad diet competition by using the latest magazine article that promises the world with fantastic fat losses, just take a couple of fat burning pills follow the diet and then wow! A brand new body in a few weeks.

The sad fact is these fat diets don’t work long term, so what does this mean, what would happen to morale and productivity? I asked myself, would this potentially spoil the short term gain and have a damaging effect on the culture and morale for the employee’s long term?

This was a great opportunity for me to find a total health and wellness program through nutrition and exercise and reap the rewards long term rather than just a quick fix. My company sponsors fitness and exercise through at our local gym so my research focused on uncovering a nutritional program that is safe and natural. After months of searching I was introduced to doctor recommended total health and wellness system that focuses on cleansing and fat burning. I jumped right in and gave it a try, and why not I had tried virtually everything else. I have to report that my results have been absolutely amazing; I have dropped over 20 pounds and 28 inches, safely and naturally and to my surprise I have kept it off. This system has changed my life in understanding the importance of looking after my internal body and the best thing is I feel fantastic.

I recommend companies and individuals to take advantage of my research and be cautious about be involved or incorporating Biggest Loser type contests as a band-aid approach and seek long-term results.

The Volumetric’s Diet was created by Barbara Rolls PhD and is a very popular diet that has been part of a weight loss program for a number of very successful dieters.

Volumetrics is based on a very simple fact - people like to eat! And that if people are given a choice between eating more or eating less then in 99% of cases they will always choose to eat more.

The Volumetric’s Diet isn’t based on deprivation like many other diets. It’s based on this natural human preference just mentioned and the natural human dislike for dieting (i.e. hunger and unhappiness).

The basis of the Volumetrics diet is finding foods that you can eat lots of whilst you are still losing weight. Volumetrics focuses on the feeling of fullness that many other diets exlude. According to Rolls, people feel full because of how much food they’ve eaten and it has nothing to do with calories, grams of far, protein, carbs or anything else. The trick is to fill yourself up on foods that are not full of calories. In most cases, following the Volumetrics diet will allow you to eat more and not less whilst you are still easily losing weight.

In 2000, Barbara Rolls and her co-author Robert A. Barnett released The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan detailing her theory. She followed it up in 2005 with The Volumetric’s Eating Plan which provided even more recipes whilst reminded people of the basis of the diet.

You may be wondering who Rolls is and what credentials she has. She’s the profession of nutrition and directory of the Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behaviour at Penn State University. She’s written well over 200 research articles and based the Volumetric’s diet largely on the work she has done in her laboratory.

In the Volumetric’s diet, there are no banned foods, nor are foods divided into good and bad foods. You are urged though to evaluate foods based on their energy density, which is a vital concept for the diet.

The energy density is the number of calories in a specific amount of food. Some foods, particularly fatty foods, are much more energy dense than others, i.e. they have a lot of calories packed into a small amount. Water is the complete opposite because it has a zero energy density.

By eating foods with a high energy density you are consuming a lot of calories. By eating less energy dense foods you can not only eat more, but you get less calories too.

Some very low energy density foods include things like soup or broths, fat free milk and non-starchy vegetables. In contrast, some of the very high density foods include things like crackers, chips, cookies, chocolate, nuts, oils, butter, etc.

At the heart of the Volumetric’s Diet are foods with a high water content, such as vegetables and fruits, which are often up to 95% water. These will fill you up without adding too many calories. Of course, you could drink a lot of water and consume no calories at all, but you would still feel hungry.

The Volumetric’s Diet also recommends eating foods with filling fibre, lean protein (i.e. not fatty meat) and some healthy fats such as those you find in fish. You can still eat energy dense foods like sweets, fats and alcohol, you just eat them a little bit more sparingly that you would have before.

At its root, the Volumetric’s Diet is very clever. It is essentially a sensible eating program that almost any nutritionist would recommend. Reduce your calorie intake, lower your fat intake and eat lots of vegetables and fruits.

The South Beach diet menu is the collection of the food that you could take if you truly want to achieve your set goal. You could substitute some of the food contents only that you must not go beyond what is required by the phase.

The Phases of South Beach Diet Menu

There are various phases involved in the South Beach Diet Menu. Moreover, they are all nutritious and wholesome foods.

For Phase 1, you would be required to eat only lean protein while mixing it up with the mono and the polyunsaturated fats like those of the canola oil, olive oil, and peanut oil. The low-glycemic index of carbohydrates may also be included.

Phase 2 re-introduces the list of some healthy carbs like the whole grain bread, fruit, whole wheat pasta, whole grain rice, and sweet potatoes. Some indulgences may also be enjoyed from time to time.

Phase 3 is now the maintenance part. There is no ready food plan or list. You would simply be adopting the knowledge and concepts that you earned from the phase 2 of the South beach diet menu.

Be very creative in thinking about alternatives or substitutes in every single phase. You may try new foods and new things. It matters that you do not get bored with the food plan that you take.

The Aim of the South Beach Diet Menu Phases

All of the three phases of the South Beach diet menu plans are meant for flexibility. As you deem yourself already fit, you may switch on with the phases. South Beach diet menu helps you in eating for the purpose of your health. Its main goal is to let you eat foods which are nonetheless pleasurable for you yet they are healthy at the same time.

The Acceptable Food for the South Beach Diet Menu Phases

Phase 1 Food list may include the lean cuts of beef, all kinds of seafood, skinless poultry, lean cuts of veal and pork, lunchmeats and cheeses that are low-fat or fat-free, tofu, eggs, legumes, low-glycemic index vegetables, canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, seasonings and spices without added sugar, and some sugar-free treats.

Phase 2 list may include the advisable food for phase 1 and the addition of whole grain bagels, whole wheat pasta, high-fiber cereal, high-fiber breads, popcorn, and whole wheat pita.

South Beach diet menu plan aids in resolving the problems of the body in processing sugar, fats, and fuel. If you are ready with the routine intake, better get professional help.

What are feelings of depression?

- a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity

- sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy

Are you surprised by these definitions? What is missing here? The definitions do not tell you how depression starts and certainly does not tell you how to stop it.

Depression is about how you think. And thinking is about interpreting your experiences in the world. You have three choices when it comes to deciding how you will deal with all the events in life. You can change how you think. You can change how you feel. Or, you can change what you are doing.

Here is an exercise to help you understand this. Really do this step by step. Spend several minutes on each step really seeing and feeling yourself doing those things. Do the first step before you do the next.

Here Is How

1) Think about something pleasant that happened to you before today. Keep on going back into your past until you find one moment that made you feel good. It could be learning to ride a bicycle or learning to swim or just a pleasant day or swinging or whatever. See yourself touching and seeing and hearing everything that is going on.

2) Take a deep breath. Think about where your are now. Have a look around the room and see something you have not noticed for a while. Now, think about your left foot. What is is doing at this moment. Focus on what your right hand is doing at the moment. Wiggle the toes on your right foot. If you are sitting feel the pressure on your left hip.Take another deep breath and listen to the sound it makes as you breathe in and breathe out.

3) Think about something you really want to do tomorrow, something you really like doing. And when tomorrow comes do it.

4) Now stand up and do your million dollar happy dance. Really get into it. Move your arms and legs and shout out yaaaaaah!

While you were doing these exercises did you once think, “I’m so depressed”? You see, YOU ARE in control of how you feel. Even if you only read what I said I’m willing to bet depression never once crossed your mind.

What I did in the exercise was to focus on a pleasant experience from the past. Then, I focused on what I was doing now, in the present. Then I planned to do something pleasant in the future.

Listening to your breathing while you take a deep breath is an excellent exercise if you are stressed. It allows you to relax and allows you to focus on this very moment where you are now.

What happened yesterday can not be changed. It has already happened. You do not want to spend all your life looking backward on something you cannot change. Yesterday is the experience that got you here. It is the experience that makes you who you are.

You can only do something in this present moment. Each moment you live is totally new. You can only do what you can right now.

If you plan for something pleasant to do each day, then you can also plan to do something that needs to be done. When you have done that, reward yourself by doing the pleasant thing you planned for yourself yesterday. That way, all the routine things that you need to do will get done and you won’t have to worry about doing them. And, you will end your day with something that makes you happy.

Each day go do some physical activity for 30 minutes. And while you are cycling or walking or running or whatever you want to do, go through steps 1 to 3 in your mind. Smile at everyone you see.