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Weight loss – Wikipedia

Posted: November 2, 2016 at 10:44 am

Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other connective tissue. Weight loss can either occur unintentionally due to malnourishment or an underlying disease or arise from a conscious effort to improve an actual or perceived overweight or obese state. "Unexplained" weight loss that is not caused by reduction in calorific intake or exercise is called cachexia and may be a symptom of a serious medical condition. Intentional weight loss is commonly referred to as slimming.

Unintentional weight loss may result from loss of body fats, loss of body fluids, muscle atrophy, or even a combination of these.[1][2] It is generally regarded as a medical problem when at least 10% of a person's body weight has been lost in six months[1][3] or 5% in the last month.[4] Another criterion used for assessing weight that is too low is the body mass index (BMI).[5] However, even lesser amounts of weight loss can be a cause for serious concern in a frail elderly person.[6]

Unintentional weight loss can occur because of an inadequately nutritious diet relative to a person's energy needs (generally called malnutrition). Disease processes, changes in metabolism, hormonal changes, medications or other treatments, disease- or treatment-related dietary changes, or reduced appetite associated with a disease or treatment can also cause unintentional weight loss.[1][2][3][7][8][9] Poor nutrient utilization can lead to weight loss, and can be caused by fistulae in the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, drug-nutrient interaction, enzyme depletion and muscle atrophy.[3]

Continuing weight loss may deteriorate into wasting, a vaguely defined condition called cachexia.[6] Cachexia differs from starvation in part because it involves a systemic inflammatory response.[6] It is associated with poorer outcomes.[1][6][7] In the advanced stages of progressive disease, metabolism can change so that they lose weight even when they are getting what is normally regarded as adequate nutrition and the body cannot compensate. This leads to a condition called anorexia cachexia syndrome (ACS) and additional nutrition or supplementation is unlikely to help.[3] Symptoms of weight loss from ACS include severe weight loss from muscle rather than body fat, loss of appetite and feeling full after eating small amounts, nausea, anemia, weakness and fatigue.[3]

Serious weight loss may reduce quality of life, impair treatment effectiveness or recovery, worsen disease processes and be a risk factor for high mortality rates.[1][6] Malnutrition can affect every function of the human body, from the cells to the most complex body functions, including:[5]

In addition, malnutrition can lead to vitamin and other deficiencies and to inactivity, which in turn may pre-dispose to other problems, such as pressure sores.[5]

Unintentional weight loss can be the characteristic leading to diagnosis of diseases such as cancer[1] and type 1 diabetes.[10]

In the UK, up to 5% of the general population is underweight, but more than 10% of those with lung or gastrointestinal diseases and who have recently had surgery.[5] According to data in the UK using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool ('MUST'), which incorporates unintentional weight loss, more than 10% of the population over the age of 65 is at risk of malnutrition.[5] A high proportion (10-60%) of hospital patients are also at risk, along with a similar proportion in care homes.[5]

Disease-related malnutrition can be considered in four categories:[5]

Inability to eat can result from: diminished consciousness or confusion, or physical problems affecting the arm or hands, swallowing or chewing. Eating restrictions may also be imposed as part of treatment or investigations. Lack of food can result from: poverty, difficulty in shopping or cooking, and poor quality meals.

Other losses: Conditions such as burns can be associated with losses such as skin exudates.

Weight loss issues related to specific diseases include:

Medical treatment can directly or indirectly cause weight loss, impairing treatment effectiveness and recovery that can lead to further weight loss in a vicious cycle.[1]

Many patients will be in pain and have a loss of appetite after surgery.[1] Part of the body's response to surgery is to direct energy to wound healing, which increases the body's overall energy requirements.[1] Surgery affects nutritional status indirectly, particularly during the recovery period, as it can interfere with wound healing and other aspects of recovery.[1][5] Surgery directly affects nutritional status if a procedure permanently alters the digestive system.[1]Enteral nutrition (tube feeding) is often needed.[1] However a policy of 'nil by mouth' for all gastrointestinal surgery has not been shown to benefit, with some suggestion it might hinder recovery.[13]

Early post-operative nutrition is a part of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols.[14] These protocols also include carbohydrate loading in the 24 hours before surgery, but earlier nutritional interventions have not been shown to have a significant impact.[14]

Some medications can cause weight loss,[15] while others can cause weight gain.[16][17]

Social conditions such as poverty, social isolation and inability to get or prepare preferred foods can cause unintentional weight loss, and this may be particularly common in older people.[18] Nutrient intake can also be affected by culture, family and belief systems.[3] Ill-fitting dentures and other dental or oral health problems can also affect adequacy of nutrition.[3]

Loss of hope, status or social contact and spiritual distress can cause depression, which may be associated with reduced nutrition, as can fatigue.[3]

Intentional weight loss is the loss of total body mass as a result of efforts to improve fitness and health, or to change appearance through slimming.

Weight loss in individuals who are overweight or obese can reduce health risks,[19] increase fitness,[20] and may delay the onset of diabetes.[19] It could reduce pain and increase movement in people with osteoarthritis of the knee.[20] Weight loss can lead to a reduction in hypertension (high blood pressure), however whether this reduces hypertension-related harm is unclear.[19][not in citation given]

Weight loss occurs when the body is expending more energy in work and metabolism than it is absorbing from food or other nutrients. It will then use stored reserves from fat or muscle, gradually leading to weight loss.

For athletes seeking to improve performance or to meet required weight classification for participation in a sport, it is not uncommon to seek additional weight loss even if they are already at their ideal body weight. Others may be driven to lose weight to achieve an appearance they consider more attractive. Being underweight is associated with health risks such as difficulty fighting off infection, osteoporosis, decreased muscle strength, trouble regulating body temperature and even increased risk of death.[21]

Low-calorie diets are also referred to as balanced percentage diets. Due to their minimal detrimental effects, these types of diets are most commonly recommended by nutritionists. In addition to restricting calorie intake, a balanced diet also regulates macronutrient consumption. From the total number of allotted daily calories, it is recommended that 55% should come from carbohydrates, 15% from protein, and 30% from fats with no more than 10% of total fat coming from saturated forms.[unreliable medical source?] For instance, a recommended 1,200 calorie diet would supply about 660 calories from carbohydrates, 180 from protein, and 360 from fat. Some studies suggest that increased consumption of protein can help ease hunger pains associated with reduced caloric intake by increasing the feeling of satiety.[22]Calorie restriction in this way has many long-term benefits. After reaching the desired body weight, the calories consumed per day may be increased gradually, without exceeding 2,000 net (i.e. derived by subtracting calories burned by physical activity from calories consumed). Combined with increased physical activity, low-calorie diets are thought to be most effective long-term, unlike crash diets, which can achieve short-term results, at best. Physical activity could greatly enhance the efficiency of a diet. The healthiest weight loss regimen, therefore, is one that consists of a balanced diet and moderate physical activity.[citation needed]

Weight gain has been associated with excessive consumption of fats, (added) sugars, refined carbohydrates in general, and alcohol consumption.[citation needed] Depression, stress or boredom may also contribute to weight increase,[citation needed] and in these cases, individuals are advised to seek medical help. A 2010 study found that dieters who got a full night's sleep lost more than twice as much fat as sleep-deprived dieters.[23][24]

Though hypothesized that supplementation of vitamin D may help, studies do not support this.[25]

The majority of dieters regain weight over the long term.[26]

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans those who achieve and manage a healthy weight do so most successfully by being careful to consume just enough calories to meet their needs, and being physically active.[27] According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), healthy individuals seeking to maintain their weight should consume 2,000 calories (8.4 MJ) per day.[citation needed]

The least intrusive weight loss methods, and those most often recommended, are adjustments to eating patterns and increased physical activity, generally in the form of exercise. The World Health Organization recommended that people combine a reduction of processed foods high in saturated fats, sugar and salt[28] and caloric content of the diet with an increase in physical activity.[29]

An increase in fiber intake is also recommended for regulating bowel movements.

Other methods of weight loss include use of drugs and supplements that decrease appetite, block fat absorption, or reduce stomach volume.

Bariatric surgery may be indicated in cases of severe obesity. Two common bariatric surgical procedures are gastric bypass and gastric banding.[30] Both can be effective at limiting the intake of food energy by reducing the size of the stomach, but as with any surgical procedure both come with their own risks[31] that should be considered in consultation with a physician.

Dietary supplements, though widely used, are not considered a healthy option for weight loss.[32] Many are available, but very few are effective in the long term.[33]

Virtual gastric band uses hypnosis to make the brain think the stomach is smaller than it really is and hence lower the amount of food ingested. This brings as a consequence weight reduction. This method is complemented with psychological treatment for anxiety management and with hypnopedia. Research has been conducted into the use of hypnosis as a weight management alternative.[34][35][36][37] In 1996 a study found that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) was more effective for weight reduction if reinforced with hypnosis.[35]Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ACT, a mindfulness approach to weight loss, has also in the last few years been demonstrating its usefulness.[38]

In order for weight loss to be permanent, changes in diet and lifestyle must be permanent as well. Short-term dieting has not been shown to produce either long term weight loss or better health, and may even be counterproductive.[39]

There is a substantial market for products which promise to make weight loss easier, quicker, cheaper, more reliable, or less painful. These include books, DVDs, CDs, cremes, lotions, pills, rings and earrings, body wraps, body belts and other materials, fitness centers, clinics, personal coaches, weight loss groups, and food products and supplements.[40]

In 2008 between US$33 billion and $55 billion was spent annually in the US on weight-loss products and services, including medical procedures and pharmaceuticals, with weight-loss centers taking between 6 and 12 percent of total annual expenditure. Over $1.6 billion a year was spent on weight-loss supplements. About 70 percent of Americans' dieting attempts are of a self-help nature.[41][42]

In Western Europe, sales of weight-loss products, excluding prescription medications, topped 900 million ($1.4 billion) in 2009.[42]

A 1-kg loss of body weight has been associated with an approximate 1-mm Hg drop in blood pressure.[43]

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Weight loss - Wikipedia

Diet (nutrition) – Wikipedia

Posted: October 21, 2016 at 4:42 am

In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism.[1] The word diet often implies the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management reasons (with the two often being related). Although humans are omnivores, each culture and each person holds some food preferences or some food taboos. This may be due to personal tastes or ethical reasons. Individual dietary choices may be more or less healthy.

Complete nutrition requires ingestion and absorption of vitamins, minerals, and food energy in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Dietary habits and choices play a significant role in the quality of life, health and longevity.

Some cultures and religions have restrictions concerning what foods are acceptable in their diet. For example, only Kosher foods are permitted by Judaism, and Halal foods by Islam. Although Buddhists are generally vegetarians, the practice varies and meat-eating may be permitted depending on the sects. In Hinduism, vegetarianism is the ideal. Jains are strictly vegetarian and consumption of roots is not permitted.

Many people choose to forgo food from animal sources to varying degrees (e.g. flexitarianism, vegetarianism, veganism, fruitarianism) for health reasons, issues surrounding morality, or to reduce their personal impact on the environment, although some of the public assumptions about which diets have lower impacts are known to be incorrect.[2]Raw foodism is another contemporary trend. These diets may require tuning or supplementation such as vitamins to meet ordinary nutritional needs.

A particular diet may be chosen to seek weight loss or weight gain. Changing a subject's dietary intake, or "going on a diet", can change the energy balance and increase or decrease the amount of fat stored by the body. Some foods are specifically recommended, or even altered, for conformity to the requirements of a particular diet. These diets are often recommended in conjunction with exercise. Specific weight loss programs can be harmful to health, while others may be beneficial and can thus be coined as healthy diets. The terms "healthy diet" and "diet for weight management" are often related, as the two promote healthy weight management. Having a healthy diet is a way to prevent health problems, and will provide the body with the right balance of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.[3]

An eating disorder is a mental disorder that interferes with normal food consumption. It is defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive diet.

A healthy diet may improve or maintain optimal health. In developed countries, affluence enables unconstrained caloric intake and possibly inappropriate food choices.[4]

Health agencies recommend that people maintain a normal weight by limiting consumption of energy-dense foods and sugary drinks, eat plant-based food, limit red and processed meat, and limit alcohol.[5]

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Diet (nutrition) - Wikipedia

HCG Diet Info – The HCG Diet Plan Authority

Posted: October 21, 2016 at 4:42 am

So what exactly is the Hcg Diet Plan, and why are so many millions of people raving about the rapid and long term weight loss effects? Chances are, youve come across someone that has used the Hcg Diet Plan successfully, and has lost a significant amount of weight in a very short period of time. Perhaps a relative, a coworker, or maybe even that friend of a friend you met over the holidays. Well, we are not surprised!Hcg Diet Info has seen millions of success stories over the years, and many of thesewalking Hcg Diet Success Storiescontinue to keep us posted on how easy it has been to keep the weight off over the years. Thats because the Hcg Diet is more than just a weight loss diet. It is medical hormone therapy, designed to reprogram your metabolism as well as your eating habits. It is a medical weight loss diet that uses Hcg to change the way you lose weight, and set you on the path of longterm health and fitness.

The HCG Diet Plan involves the use of acarefully planneddiet of healthy, quality foods for nutrition and tinyamount of the pro-hormone, HCG(human chorionic gonadotropin)administered through injections, drops, orpellets. Originally published by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons in hisManuscript, Pounds and Inches,the diet initially called for a rigid protocol with little flexibility, lack of exercise recommendations, and a specific list of allowed foods. Times have changed however, and the HCG Diet has evolved into a number of modern protocols. Todays HCG Diet involves a low calorie diet with an expanded food list, exercise and a strong focus on learning healthy habits for lifelong weight maintenance. Read a quick overview of the OriginalHCG Diethere.

Read more: What is the Hcg Diet?

There has been much confusion about how the HCG Diet works but there is a simpleexplanation: HCG does NOT cause you to lose weight. The carefully planned diet and menu are what results intheweight loss. So what is the point of using HCG on the protocol? Simple: HCGchangesHOWyour body loses weight.Where most diets result in muscle loss and a stalled metabolismfrom the bodys diet-induced starvation mode, a small amount of the pro-hormone, HCG, keeps this from happening. This allows the dieter to continue losing weight at an impressive rate.

HCG is the pro-hormone that is produced by all individuals, men and women alike. It is produced in large amounts by women during pregnancy and is known for being the catalyst hormone that stimulates the production of other hormones throughout the body. These in turn, effect the bodys metabolism, muscle tissue, digestion, liver functions and much more. It is no secret that hormone function and balance is known to be one of the most common causes of weight challenges, especially severe obesity. HCGs role in the diet plan, helps the body to balance out these issues, which in turn enables the body to function at an optimal rate of performance. Read more abouthow HCG works for weight loss.

Weve created a thorough guide to explain how the NEW HCG Diet Plan works, including everything youneed to get started. This includes the NEW HCG Diet Plan Protocol, Tips for buying HCG Diet Drops and Injections, HCG Diet Food Lists and Menus, HCG Diet Recipes, Phase Overviews, Maintenance, and so much more. Get a sneak peek at the new HCG Diet Guide: How to do the Hcg Diet Plan.

Recommended HCG Diet programs (injections or real HCG drops) can be found on ourBuy HCGpage. For questions about buying HCG drops and injections, we have put together a thorough HCG Buying Guide, with tips for selecting the right provider, Tips for saving money when Buying HCG, why NOT to buy HCG from overseas, and so much more. Learn,buy, save! HCG Diet Buying Guide.

Have questions? Join HDIs HCG Diet Forums, the largest HCG Diet community on the web with over 100 thousand registered members. Share your experience and get answers fast, the forums are the best place to mingle with your fellow HCG Dieters going through the same weight loss journey. HCG Diet Forums.

HCG Diet recipes and foods are the backbone of the HCG Diet. While the pro-hormone, HCG,changes HOW your body loses weight, it is actually the food diet that is responsible for your weight loss. This is good news! This means the HCG Diet can work with any number of diet menus, foods and recipes.

While the actual foods eaten on the HCG diet can vary according to which protocol the individual is following, the suggested higher calorie plans are recommended by the New HCG Diet Plan. These average around 1395calories but areultimately based on the individuals own BMR. Focus is placed on portion control, increased vegetables and proteins, and a food list that is much broader and less restrictive than the original diet.

The original Simeons HCG protocolprescribed a strict VLCD (very low calorie diet) of 500 calories. This approach allowed only a select number of foods per day, limited vegetables and fruits as well asan extremely short and strict food list. While many dieters continue to follow this plan, there are few doctors that have not switched to suggesting the more modern, expanded HCG Diet Food List.

Already worried youll miss your favorite hamburger on the menu? Have no fear- the NEW HCG Diet can still work with your favorite foods and there are hundreds of HCG Diet Recipes available for you to choose from on HDI or in our recommended HCG Diet Cookbooks. From sauce recipes for Phase 1, to dinner recipes for Phase 2 and healthy dessert recipes for Phase 3. Take your pick- bon apetit!

Dr. Simeons book, Pounds and Inches is the very detailed, original manuscript of the HCG diet Plan. It includes everything from body chemistry, to the very specific 500 calorie diet known as VLCD or Very Low Calorie Diet. Even if you are following a different protocol, it is still suggested that you read the original manuscript to understand how the diet works and the important aspects of the protocol that will ensure your weight loss. The original manuscript can be found here: Pounds and Inches by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons.

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HCG Diet Info - The HCG Diet Plan Authority

Health & Wellness: Nutrition, Fitness, Diet … – TODAY.com

Posted: October 18, 2016 at 10:43 pm

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Health & Wellness: Nutrition, Fitness, Diet ... - TODAY.com

3-Day Diet

Posted: October 15, 2016 at 4:44 am

Table of Contents

There are a variety of three-day diets that circulate from person to person and on the Internet. They tend to promise weight loss of 10 lb (4.5 kg) or more in just three days.

The origins of the three-day diet are unclear. Some people believe that they go back to the 1980s when these kinds of diets were faxed from person to person. Three-day diets go by many different names, including the fax diet, Army diet, Navy diet, Cleveland Clinic diet, and many others. Often they are just referred to as three-day diets. Although many versions of this diet claim to have been created by one medical institution or another, no medical institutions have ever been known to come forward to claim responsibility for, or even to recommend, one of these diets. Many institutions that have these diets named after them, such as the British Heart Foundation or the Cleveland Clinic, go out of their way to inform dieters that the diet did not originate where its title claims.

The most common form of three-day diet on the Internet involves eating a large quantity of tuna and various vegetables during the day, with ice cream each evening. This diet seems to be similar to, or the same

as, the three-day diet sold online by 3daydiets.net. It is unclear, however, if they are the developer of the diet, as they do not claim specifically to be.

There are many versions of three-day diets circulating, all with the promise of bringing dieters significant weight loss in just three days. There are many variations in what dieters may and may not eat during these three days. One diet even calls for dieters to drink only water for the first day. On the second day dieters may eat fruit, and drink only fruit juice, and on the third day dieters may eat only vegetables, and drink only vegetable juice.

The most common three-day diet, and the one that seems to be the most popular, is a three-day diet with a meal plan that instructs dieters what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The specifics of the plan vary, as do what dieters are allowed to drink while on the plan. Some versions allow anything, others specify just water and diet soda in addition to the coffee and tea called for in the meal plan. Many require that dieters drink at least four glasses of water daily. Some allow diet soda to be substituted for the water. A common version of the three-day diet meal plan is:

Breakfast: black tea or coffee, 1/2 a grapefruit, 1 piece of toast with 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter. Some version specify 1/3 of a grapefruit, some call for artificial sweetener to be added to the coffee, some allow grapefruit juice to be substituted for the grapefruit.

Lunch: 1/2 cup tuna, 1 piece dry toast, black coffee or tea. Some versions call for tuna in water, some call for artificial sweetener with the coffee or tea.

Dinner: 3 ounces lean meat, 1 cup green beans, 1 cup carrots, 1 apple, 1 cup vanilla ice cream. Some versions specify a low fat ice cream, other do not. Some versions call for 1 cup of beets instead of carrots.

Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 slice dry toast, 1/2 banana, black coffee or tea. Some versions require artificial sweetened in the coffee or tea. It is not generally specified how the dieter should prepare the egg. Some versions call for a whole banana.

Lunch: 1 cup cottage cheese and six crackers. Some versions allow dieters to choose between 1 cup of cottage cheese and 1 cup of tuna. Some require six crackers, some allow eight. Most versions call for Saltine brand crackers.

Dinner: two hot dogs, 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup carrots, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream. Some versions specify beef franks. Some call for 1 cup of cabbage instead of 1 cup of broccoli. Some versions require low fat ice cream.

Breakfast: one apple, 1 ounce cheddar cheese, five Saltine brand crackers, black tea or coffee. Some versions allow or require artificial sweetener.

Lunch: one hard-boiled egg, one slice dry toast. Some versions allow black coffee or tea (with or without artificial sweetener) with this meal, others do not.

Dinner: 1 cup tuna, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup cauliflower, 1 cup melon, and 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream. Some versions call for 1/2 a cantaloupe instead of 1 cup of melon. Some versions require low fat ice cream.

There are other versions of the above three-day diet, with some specifying even more alternatives for the dieter, including an orange instead of grapefruit, cottage cheese instead of tuna, and various vegetable substitutions. Most versions tell dieters to use lemon, salt and pepper, mustard, vinegar, herbs, soy sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and other seasonings to add flavoring to food during the diet, but nothing containing fat, such as butter. Most versions of the diet are very specific in saying that dieters have to follow the rules exactly to see the promised weight loss.

The three-day diet usually promises that dieters will be able to lose 10 pounds in three days if the diet is followed exactly. Often the diet claims that this will result because the combination of foods called for by the diet causes some kind of increased metabolism that will burn pounds of fat. It is never made clear exactly what kind of reaction this is supposed to be, or how it is supposed to work. Often the diet says the dieter can repeat the diet after a few days of regular eating. Some version of three-day diets allow for as few as two days of normal eating, others require up to four or five. The three-day diets are intended to provide a dieter with extreme weight loss in a very short time and are not intended to change the dieters lifestyle or overall eating habits. Usually the diets go so far as to tell a dieter to eat whatever he or she was eating before the diet once the diet is over. The diets only caution is not to overeat. No exercise recommendations are made with three-day diets. Weight loss is supposed to come from increased metabolism and lowered calorie intake alone.

There are many benefits to weight loss if it achieved at a moderate pace through healthy eating and exercise. Three-day diets, however, are not considered moderately paced and do not include exercise, or a well-balanced diet. Although the diets claim that a dieter can lose 10 pounds in three days, weight loss is likely to come mainly from lost water weight. There may be some psychological benefit to quick weight loss, but this is likely to be undone if the weight is gained back quickly after the diet is over.

Anyone thinking of beginning a new diet should consult a physician or other medical professional. Daily requirements of calories, fat, and nutrients can differ significantly from person to person depending on age, weight, sex, and other factors. Talking to a doctor can help a dieter determine which diet is safe for that dieters individual needs, and a doctor can help a dieter choose a diet that fits in well with his or her long-term weight loss goals. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should be especially cautious when thinking of beginning a new diet because when a baby is receiving nutrients from its mother, what the mother eats can have a significant impact on the growth and development of the baby.

There are some risks associated with any diet, but diets that severely limit calories or the variety of foods that dieters may eat tend to be more risky than well balanced, moderately calorie-reduced diets. The most common three-day diet requires dieters to eat only about 1,000 calories a day, with some versions that have been analyzed consisting of at as few as 700 calories per day. This is too few for most people to maintain good health. A diet that contains fewer than 800 calories per day is considered a very low calorie diet. Very low calorie diets carry high risks of side effects, such as gallstones and cardiovascular problems. Very low calorie diets are only intended for the extremely obese who are experiencing significant medical problems due to obesity. These diets are carried out under the close supervision of physicians. They are not intended, or safe for, dieters to follow on their own.

Dieters who follow a three-day diet may find that any weight lost is gained back as soon as the diet is over, and may even find that more weight is gained that was lost. Having a very low caloric intake makes the dieters metabolism slow down because the body thinks that it is starving. Then when a normal number of calories are reintroduced into the diet, the body wants to store extra fat in case there is a period of starvation again. This natural defense mechanism of the body against starvation can cause dieters who alternatively eat very few calories and then return to normal eating to gain large amounts of fat over time, even while they are trying to diet. Very low calorie diets pursued over only a few days also promote binge eating at the end of the diet.

Many of the versions of three-day diets, especially those intended for fasting, carry a high risk of vitamin and mineral deficiency. The body needs food from each of the food groups every day for good health. Drinking only fruit juices, or eating any very limited variety of foods, can make it nearly impossible for a dieter to get all of the nutrients required for good health. Any dieter considering this kind of diet should consult a physician about an appropriate multivitamin or supplement to help reduce this risk of deficiency. Multivitamins and dietary supplements carry their own risks, and can not replace a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Three-day diets are not generally accepted as healthy, effective ways to lose weight for the long term. Although no scientific studies have been carried out to determine the effectiveness of common three-day diets, experts suggest that anything that promises dieters 10 lb (4.5 kg) of weight loss in three days is unlikely to be taking off fat. Instead, dieters are probably losing water weight, with possibly a little fat loss and some muscle mass loss through the reduced caloric intake.

The United States Department of Agriculture makes recommendations for a healthy diet in its MyPyr-amid food guidelines. MyPyramid gives recommendations about how many servings of each food group are required daily for good health. These recommendations can be found at <http://www.MyPyramid.gov.> Any diet that will produce sustainable, healthy weight loss should follow these guidelines and include foods from each food group every day. Sustainable diets should not be extremely restrictive of any food group, or be extremely calorie-reduced.

Many studies have shown that exercise and diet are more effective at producing weight loss when done together than either is done alone. Three-day diets do not usually have any exercise recommendations. Instead, they generally claim that a combination of foods will magically melt away fat without the dieter having to expend any effort. Healthy weight loss plans should include both a diet and an exercise component. As of 2007, the Centers for Disease Control recommended that adults get a minimum of 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise each day for good health.

Shannon, Joyce Brennfleck ed. Diet and Nutrition Source-book. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, 2006.

Willis, Alicia P. ed. Diet Therapy Research Trends. New York: Nova Science, 2007.

American Dietetic Association. 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995. Telephone: (800) 877-1600. Website: <http://www.eatright.org>

The Diet Channel. 3 Day Diet. 2007. <http://www.thedietchannel.com/3-day-diet.htm>

Tish Davidson, A.M.

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3-Day Diet

Diet and Nutrition News, Advice, – HuffPost Healthy Living

Posted: October 15, 2016 at 4:44 am

Eating healthy is certainly not about being perfect. Most people tend to get much better results when they start small and make incremental changes to their current diet.

Anne Ricci

Founder of AnnesHealthyKitchen.com, helping women solve their health and weight puzzle.

Moving forward, try to accept foods for what they are -- food. If you like the way a food tastes, it makes you feel good, and you are in the mood for it, then that sounds like a great choice... no matter how much fat or calories it contains. If you don't enjoy the taste of a food, aren't in the mood for it, or it doesn't make you feel very good then it probably isn't a stellar choice for you no matter how many celebrities you've seen eating/drinking it.

What if, instead all the negative food-body thoughts, feeling like a failure, and regret-eating, we could have a lighter more positive touch and just make a few super do-able substitutions to our recipes?

In a recent report published by the Centers for Disease Control that ranked 47 "powerhouse fruits and vegetables," kale placed only 15th (with 49.07 points out of 100 for nutrient density)! Here's a roundup of the 10 leafy green cousins that researchers say pack a greater nutritional wallop.

David Zinczenko

The New York Times best-selling author of Eat It to Beat It!, Eat This, Not That and The Abs Diet, and the Nutrition and Wellness Editor at ABC News

Here are a few tips for choosing a healthy snack: eat real food, keep it portion-controlled (and calorie-controlled), aim for a fruit or veggie serving, and try to get some protein or fiber in your snack to help you feel full and stabilize blood sugar.

Dr. Lisa Young

Internationally-recognized nutritionist; International Speaker; Adjunct professor of nutrition at NYU; Author, 'The Portion Teller Plan'

If I eat hot peppers or tree nuts, the reaction can range from uncomfortable at best to life-threatening at worst. Having been both hostess and guest in this situation, I can offer some advice to those who are considering welcoming a restricted eater to their meal or their food-related event.

Yes, oats are loaded with carbs, but the release of those sugars is slowed by the fiber, and because oats also have 10 grams of protein per 1/2-cup serving, they deliver steady, muscle-friendly energy.

David Zinczenko

The New York Times best-selling author of Eat It to Beat It!, Eat This, Not That and The Abs Diet, and the Nutrition and Wellness Editor at ABC News

The concept is this: Humans evolved on a diet very different from today's eating habits. Therefore, the Paleo proponents argue, to be healthier, leaner, stronger and fitter, we must re-think our diet and remove some of the food groups we consider basic.

You are your most valuable asset, and you're also stuck with yourself for a long, long time. With that in mind, use last night's cookie hoedown as a way to figure out the ways in which you need to take better care of yourself instead of yelling at yourself for the next three days.

Compelled by my compounding fatigue and stomachaches, I waved the white (and red and green) flag, and embarked on my gluten-free adventure. I didn't realize that the benefits of a gluten-free diet would contribute to the improvement of other aspects of my life.

Celia Kaye

Author of the children's book, "The Adventures of Celia Kaye," available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Fitness Nutrition Specialist (NASM), certified mat Pilates instructor, and gluten-free lifestyle writer.

If you've made the choice (or goal) of going completely meat-free, don't allow your surroundings and your own fears to stop you. Hopefully, these tips can be one step towards helping you achieve the changes in your diet that are important to you.

Known as the "fruit of the gods," figs are in season now, but they're nothing new. In season from from June to early Fall, the sweet fruit were used by the Greeks as signs of prosperity and for early Olympic training. For the food nerds among us, a mini fig tutorial.

I wore what I didn't eat like a badge of honor. As a certified health coach, I felt like it was important to "walk the talk" and make sure that I was taking exceptional care of myself; but like every other thing in life, you can take even good things too far!

I secretly (publicly) would love it if he would learn to love produce the way I do, the same way I know he wishes I would eat a steak. At this point, though, besides it having no appeal, I'm pretty sure my body would violently reject red meat, were I to eat it.

Holly Leber

Journalist, food geek, wishful world traveler, aspiring professional sassafras.

Do candy bars have a tendency to jump off the shelves and into your cart when you're at the supermarket? You're not alone. From the weekly circulars to the cash register, the entire grocery-shopping experience is designed to ensure you spend as much time and money on junk food as possible.

David Zinczenko

The New York Times best-selling author of Eat It to Beat It!, Eat This, Not That and The Abs Diet, and the Nutrition and Wellness Editor at ABC News

When it's hot outside and you're keeping active, dehydration can leave you feeling light-headed and disoriented. Cooling off with refreshing beverages can keep your body hydrated and your waistline intact -- if you know which ones to drink.

Sylvia E. Melndez-Klinger

Registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, nutritional consultant and founder of Hispanic Food Communications

No one would ever say "just try one cashew" to someone with a severe nut allergy, so why do they say "just take one bite" to people with wheat allergies?

Celia Kaye

Author of the children's book, "The Adventures of Celia Kaye," available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Fitness Nutrition Specialist (NASM), certified mat Pilates instructor, and gluten-free lifestyle writer.

The secret to eating while traveling is to identify the difference between eating and over-eating. Eating is enjoying food. Overeating is when you no longer taste the food. You are stuffed yet continue to eat.

Margaret Marshall

Author: Healthy Living Means Living Healthy...Lose Weight, Feel Great

My father nicknamed me "20 Questions" by the time I was 5 years old. Often times I would blurt out my next question as my parents were still rattling off the answer to the previous one, antsy to address the next puzzle piece in my mind.

Alena Hall

Associate Third Metric Editor, The Huffington Post

Eliminating sugar from your diet can be done. If you do decide to go sugar-free, one of the best ways is to go cold turkey. Cut out sugar completely with these simple steps and you could be craving-free in a week.

Wellness Today

Holistic Wellness Experts from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition

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Diet and Nutrition News, Advice, - HuffPost Healthy Living

Lose It! Weight Loss Program and Calorie Counter on the …

Posted: October 4, 2016 at 4:52 pm

Description

The worlds most effective weight loss program just got even more fun. With Lose It! and Snap It, you have everything you need to rock your goals in one app, the easy way! Simply upload your food pic to Lose It!, and Snap It will identify the foods it sees to get you the calorie count and nutrition information in a snap. Download Lose It! and try Snap It Beta today! HOW IT WORKS Getting started with Lose It! is easy. Simply download the app, tell us a little about yourself (or import your profile from the Health app) and we'll create a custom weight loss plan for you. Then start logging your food and exercise. There's no easier app-based weight loss program!! SET YOUR GOALS & ACHIEVE THEM Lose It! helps you set your daily budget, plus goals for nutrients (carbs, fat, protein, fiber, sugar, etc.), weight loss, exercise, blood pressure, hydration and more! You set the goals, well help you with the plan to achieve them. TRACK YOURSELF Lose It! offers simple, easy-to-use tools for tracking what you eat and do. Just search it, scan it, or snap it! Search for foods and exercise types in our database of over 7 million items, scan your food package with our nifty barcode scanner, or snap a pic and let Snap It [NEW] do the rest. INSIGHTS TO SUCCESS Want to go beyond calorie tracking to break through a weight loss plateau? Lose It! Insights help you learn more about your logs, like where your carbs and calories are coming from, plus the foods that help or hinder your progress. CONNECT APPS & DEVICES Lose It! Makes fitness tracking a breeze. Connect to the best health and fitness devices, trackers, and apps available to seamlessly track calories burned from exercise, steps, and more. GET SUPPORT & ACCOUNTABILITY In-person meetings are so last century. Access your support network from your fingertips through our social features. With Lose It!, you can connect to friends, family, and peers around the clock for the support you need, when you need it.

ANSWER THAT BURNING QUESTION: HOW DO I LOSE WEIGHT? Introducing The How - the complete nutrition and fitness program designed to teach you how to be the healthiest version of yourself! Our comprehensive meal plan database and fitness library can be accessed directly in Lose It! CHALLENGES THAT MOTIVATE Health & fitness is more fun with friends. Unlock your competitive side and achieve your goals with Challenges in Lose It! Whether its weight loss, exercise, or total wellness, Lose It! offers head-to-head, team, and group-based challenges. Compete with each other or work together toward a common goal. Join a public challenge or create your own!

Some features require our premium subscription. Join today and you'll see how easy it is! Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/loseit Twitter:@loseit. Instagram: @loseitapp

The future of food tracking is here! Now, tracking your meals is as easy as snapping a picture. Take a pic, and Lose It!s newest feature will ID the foods in it, helping you track even faster. Snap It uses cutting edge food image analysis technology and Lose It!s expansive food database to make food tracking a snap.

After years of slowly gaining weight, I finally had enough when I popped the button off my pants four months ago. Lose It! made it so easy to lose weight. It helped me see that my portion sizes were too big and my snacks weren't the healthiest choices. I was hungry at the beginning as Lose It! only allowed me 1400 calories each day, BUT my body actually got used to it! I loved too that I didn't have to avoid sweets or my favorite foods altogether...I learned that I could still enjoy small bites or just a taste. I entered every single bite and weighed myself daily like the app suggests. I made my goal (losing 18 pounds) in only 3 1/2 months. I went from stuffing myself into my size 8 pants with major muffin top to fitting into 6's easily! Even though I have made my goal, I still enter all my food in Lose It! and I have found that my body doesn't feel the need to eat all the calories that the app now suggests I can have. As a result, I have continued to very slowly lose more weight. I plan to just keep going and see if I can get down to my pre-pregnancy weight or even *gasp* my weight from high school!

Using the free version I've lost 24 pounds in 85 days. The key is to faithfully record your food intake daily. Even when you went overboard. I usually create my own food because I don't only measure calories. I like to register every single nutrient. They all matter, specially fats and sugar. Challenges are also a good motivation, you'll learn to laugh when you see people reporting they've lost over 1,000 pounds in one month. Maybe they just like to "win", annoy or dismotivate others, but I focus on competing with myself. I just signed in for the "Baby, light my fire!" October's exercise challenge and I know it will help me a lot, because I NEED to start exercising. I like this app very much and would definitely pay for the premium version if it were a single payment, or a much lower yearly subscription. I'll give them the 5th star if they change that 🙂

In the past I haven't liked apps where I am logging everything I eat, but Lose It makes it so easy. I don't know this app just clicked with my lifestyle. It also syncs up with my other fitness apps like Run Keeper and Apple Health app. I got by and lost 35 pounds using just the basic app; but they offer a lot more information and stats with the premium. They even offer discounts on purchasing the premium throughout the year. I would suggest starting with the basic and decide for yourself if the premium has features that are important to you. Losing weight is not easy. You definitely have to sacrifice to lose those pounds but if you head is in the right place and you want it, then Lose It is a great tool to have in your arsenal.

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Lose It! Weight Loss Program and Calorie Counter on the ...

Sustained Weight Loss Takes Knowledge, Patience And Practice …

Posted: October 4, 2016 at 2:46 am

While having lunch at a convention where I was scheduled to speak, I sat with a very nice, overweight gentleman. After we introduced ourselves to each other, he realized I was one of the speakers presenting a breakout session about wellness in the workplace. He asked me to give him three pieces of advice about diet. I looked him straight in the eye, and said, "Sustained weight loss takes knowledge, patience, and practice, and without patience, there is no practice." He was shocked at my answer. He said, "I thought you would say eat vegetables or drink water, like I always hear." It was then that he admitted, "I lack patience, so I don't practice. That needs to change."

I'm sure you have noticed friends who have lost weight only to regain it, and maybe that has happened to you as well. It is a difficult task to keep weight off and most people find it almost impossible. There are many reasons, but I'll address one:

You follow a diet and you put all your faith into the diet. You never acknowledge your power in the process. In time you stop the diet and begin to gain weight again. You may return to that same diet or start another one, only to stay with it for a while, and return to your old, destructive habits. How often can this happen? The answer is that it will continue happening until you realize your role in achieving a healthy weight.

Every diet you try has attributes. Each one can educate and guide you, but you must learn to stand on your own! Believe in your own power! When I hear someone say, "I'm a Weight Watcher, or I'm doing Nutrisystem, I'm back on Jenny Craig, or I've started... (insert any diet)," they have put the emphasis and belief in the product, not in themselves.

If you have dieted before you have learned that it takes a special way of eating to lose weight. But where your knowledge may fall short is how food groups work together to nourish you, give you stamina, and keeps you healthy. You may have tried many diet plans and picked what you like most from each to form your own plan. What you've done is delete the balance in the original plan and take away its original formula for success.

People lose patience fast and the weight loss cycle is slow. The length of time it takes you to lose weight is a learning period and will be instrumental to maintaining your new body. Often success goes beyond which food you choose to eat, and is tied to how you face challenges and change behaviors. Turn off the stopwatch and take the time to learn everything you can about how you think, act, and feel towards food.

The minute you think you are "cured" of being overweight is the very moment you begin to gain weight. The skills and strategies you use to achieve a weight loss have to be practiced for a lifetime. Think of them as a muscle that needs to be exercised for maximum strength and endurance.

Repeat as necessary. Be healthy today in your thinking, your body, and your actions.

This Blogger's Books and Other Items from...

Healthy Living Means Living Healthy

by Margaret Marshall

Body, Mind, and Mouth: Life's Eating Connection

by Margaret Marshall

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Sustained Weight Loss Takes Knowledge, Patience And Practice ...

NutriMost Wellness & Weight Loss

Posted: October 4, 2016 at 2:46 am

NutriMost is an amazing, revolutionary weight-loss program that is sweeping America, and it can completely change your life! According to the Center for Disease Control, obesity contributes to various weight related diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

With NutriMost, you'll transform your approach to Wellness.

The NutriMost Wellness and Weight Loss Program is safe and effective. The NutriMost Weight Loss program is a well-designed regimen which is monitored by professionals and includes a low calorie diet along with lifestyle modifications and personalized natural supplementation to maximize achievable weight loss.

NutriMost uses a unique approach to Weight Loss with All-Natural Supplements designed to support your bodys water level, hormonal levels, and combat other nutritional challenges you may face. Our Wellness and Weight Loss plan focuses on healthy natural food choices verses the powerful chemicals found in highly processed, manufactured, and refined foods. No other plan addresses your individual needs like NutriMost.

NutriMost provides our clients with an unparalleled level of support in their Wellness and Weight Loss journey. Our team approach to your weight loss supports you every step of the way. NutriMost coaches with at-your-fingertip mobile access, weekly consultations, menus & recipes, a friendly approach to extending the program, positive affirmations, and daily email reminders all ensure that you have the tools necessary to achieve your Wellness and Weight Loss goals.

Follow this link:
NutriMost Wellness & Weight Loss

How to Lose Weight – Diet Doctor

Posted: September 30, 2016 at 1:47 am

Do you have trouble losing weight? Or would you like to lose faster? Youve finally come to exactly the right place.

The sad truth is that conventional ideas eat less, run more do not work long term. Counting calories, exercising for hours every day and trying to ignore your hunger? Thats needless suffering and it wastes your time and precious willpower. Its weight loss for masochists. Eventually almost everyone gives up. Thats why we have an obesity epidemic.

Fortunately theres a better way. Get ready for effortless weight loss. li The bottom line? Your weight is hormonally regulated. All thats necessary is reducing your fat-storing hormone, insulin, and youll effortlessly lose excess weight.

Below is a practical step-by-step guide to do exactly that.

Are you ready? Here we go.

Start at the top of the list (most important) and go down as far as you need. Klick on any tip to read all about it. Perhaps you only need the first piece of advice?

Eighteen tips too many for you? Check out this new high-quality video course with the five most important ones. Sign up for free updates and youll get instant access to it:

or keep reading below for all 18.

If you want to lose weight you should start by avoiding sugar and starch (like bread). This is an old idea: For 150 years or more there have been an infinite number of weight-loss diets based on eating less carbs. Whats new is that dozens of modern scientific studies have proven that, yes, low carbis the most effective way to lose weight.

Obviously its still possible to lose weight on any diet just eat less calories than you burn, right? The problem with this simplistic advice is that it ignores the elephant in the room: Hunger. Most people dont like to just eat less, i.e. being hungry forever. Thats dieting for masochists. Sooner or later a normal person will give up and eat, hence the prevalence of yo-yo dieting.

The main advantage of low carb diets is that they cause you to want to eat less. Even without counting calories most overweight people eat far fewer calories on low carb. Sugar and starch may increase your hunger, avoiding it may decrease your appetite to an adequate level. If your body wants to eat an appropriate number of calories you dont need to bother counting them. Thus: Calories count, but you dont need to count them.

A 2012 study also showed that people on a low carb dietburned 300 more calories a day while resting!According to one of the Harvard professors behind the study this advantagewould equal the number of calories typically burned in an hour of moderate-intensity physical activity. Imagine that: an entire bonus hour of exercise every day, without actually doing it.

Bottom line: A low carb diet reduces your hunger and makes it easier to eat less. And it might even increase your fat burning at rest. Study after study show that low carb is the smart way to lose weight and that it improves important health markers.

Do you want to watch a new high-quality 11-minute video course on how to eat low-carb, high-fat (LCHF)? And about the most important things to think about? Sign up for free updates and youll get instant access to it:

Do you want to know more about exactly what to eat on low carb, exactly how to do it, potential problems and solutions and lots of great recipes?

Start here: LCHF for Beginners

Dont be hungry. The most common mistake when starting a low carb diet: Reducing carb intake while still being afraid of fat. The problem is that carbs and fat are the bodys two main energy sources.It needs at least one. Low carb AND low fat = starvation

Avoiding both carbs and fat results in hunger, cravings and fatigue. Sooner or later people cant stand it and give up. The solution is toeat more natural fat until you feel satisfied. For example:

Always eat enough, so that you feel satisfied, especially in the beginning of the weight-loss process.Doing this on a low carb diet means that the fat you eat will be burned as fuel by your body, as your levels of the fat storing hormone insulin will be lowered. Youll become a fat burning machine. Youll lose excess weight without hunger.

Do you still fear saturated fat? Dont. The fear of saturated fat is based on obsolete theories that have beenproven incorrect by modern science. Butter is a fine food. However, feel free to eat mostly unsaturated fat (e.g. olive oil, avocado, fatty fish) if you prefer. This could be called a Mediterranean low carb diet andworks great too.

Eating when hungry also implies something else:If youre not hungry you probably dont need to eat yet. When on a LCHF diet you can trust your feelings of hunger and satiety again. Feel free to eat as many times per day that works best for you.

Some people eat three times a day and occasionallysnackin between (note that frequent snacking could mean that youd benefit from adding fat to your meals, to increase satiety).Some people only eat once or twice a day and never snack. Whatever works for you. Just eat when youre hungry.

Read More about Why Eating When Hungry is Smarter than Counting Calories

On a low-carb diet you should aim to eat when hungry (see tip #2 above). And if youre not hungry? Dont eat. Nothing slows down weight loss more than frequently eating a lot of food that you do not need. This, in fact, is so important that its worth this section of its own.

Unnecessary snacking can be a problem on LCHF too. Some things are easy to eat just because theyre tasty and easily available. Here are three common traps to watch out for on LCHF:

Do you have to eat breakfast? No, of course not. Dont eat if youre not hungry. And this goes for any meal.

On a strict LCHF diet the hunger and urge to eat tends to decrease a lot, especially if you have excess weight to lose. Your body may behappilyburning your fat stores, reducing the need to eat.

If this happens, be happy! Dont fight it by eating food you dont want. Instead wait for the hunger to return before you eat again. This will save you both time and money, while speeding up your weight loss.

Some people fear that they will lose control if they dont eat every three hours, thus making them eat thousands of calories and blowing their diets completely. So they obsessively snack all the time.

This obsessive snacking may be necessary on a diet high in sugar/processed carbs to control hunger cravings, but itsusually completely unnecessary on an LCHF diet. Hunger will only slowly return and youll have plenty of time to prepare food or grab a snack.

To lose weight quickly and sustainably: Eat when youre hungry but only when youre hungry.Forget the clock and listen to your body instead.

Learn more in these videos:

Tracking successful weight loss is sometimes trickier than youd think. Focusing only on weight and stepping on the scale every day might be misleading, cause unnecessary anxiety and undermine your motivation for no good reason.

The scale is not necessarily your friend. You may want to lose fat but the scale measures muscles, bone and internal organs as well. Gaining muscle is a good thing. Thus weight orBMIare imperfect ways to measure your progress. This is especially trueif youre just coming off a long period of semi-starvation (calorie counting), as your body may want to restore lost muscles etc. Starting weight training and gaining muscle can also hide your fat loss.

Losing fat and gaining muscles is great progress, but you may miss this if you only measure your weight. Thus its smart to also track the disappearance of your belly fat, by measuring yourwaist circumference.

Heres how to do it:

Compare your result to these recommendations:

I recommend aiming for excellent but its not always realistic. Young people can usually achieve this, but for some middle-aged or older women it may be a major victory to get all the way to decent.

I suggest measuring your waist circumference and weight before starting and then perhaps once a week or once a month. Write the results down so that you can track your progress.If you want you can measure more areas: around the buttocks, the chest, the arms, legs, etc.

Note that your weight can fluctuate up and down several pounds from day to day, depending on fluid balance and stomach contents: Dont worry about short term changes, instead follow the long-term trend.

If you can, try tocheck other important health markerswhen starting out, like these:

These markers are almost universally improved on a low carb diet, even before major weight loss. Re-checking these health markers after a few months can be great for your motivation astheyll usually showthat youre not just losing weight, youre gaining health too.

PS:Dont have a measuring tape at home? Try these options:

It usually takes years or decades to gain a lot of weight. Trying to lose it all as quickly as possible by starving yourself rarely works well long-term, thats just the recipe for yo-yo dieting. To succeed you need something that works long term.

Its common to lose2-6 pounds (1-3 kg) within the first weekon a strict low carb diet, and then on average aboutone pound (0.5 kg) per week as long as you have a lot of weight remaining to lose.This translates into about 50 pounds (25 kilos) per year.

Every 5 pounds of fat loss roughly equals 1 inch lost around the waist (1 kilo = 1 cm).

Young males sometimes lose weight quicker than this, perhaps twice as fast. Post-menopausal women may lose at a slightly slower pace. People on a very strict low carb diet may lose weight quicker, as well as those who exercise a lot (a bonus). And if you have an enormous amount of excess weight to lose you could start out much faster.

As you get closer to your ideal weight the loss slows, until you stabilize at a weight that your body feels is right. Hardly anyone gets underweight on a low carb diet as long as they eat when hungry.

Examples: Weight loss stories.

Are you coming off a period of semi-starvation (calorie counting)? Focus on your waist circumference and health markers (see advice #4) at first as it sometimes takes several weeks before weight loss is apparent.

Expect weight loss plateaus: Days or weeks where nothing seems to happen on the scale. Everybody hits them. Stay calm. Keep doing what youre doing and eventually things will start happening again (if not, check the other 16 tips).

Losing a lot of weight long-term and keeping it off forever wont happen unless youchange your habits forever. If you lose weight and then return to living exactly the way did when you gained weight, dont be surprised when the excess weight returns. It will.

Maintaining weight loss requires long-term change and patience. If this doesnt seem possible for you, then youre perhaps more interested inone of these magical diet scams.

Forget quick fixes:If you lose some weight every month, eventually youll get rid of all your excess weight.Thats inevitable progress. Thats what you want.

PS:Long-term change is only hard in the beginning, especially during the first couple of weeks.Its like quitting smoking.Once you develop new habits it becomes easier and easier every week. Eventually it comes naturally.

Keep reading!

This is a tip that goes for men as well, of course, but eating fruit is a more common obstacle for women trying to lose weight.

This advice is controversial as fruit has an almost magical health aura today. People may believe that fruit is nutritious butunfortunatelyfruit contains a lot of sugar around 10% by weight (the rest is mostly water). Just taste an orange or a grape. Sweet, right?

Five servings of fruit per day is equivalent to the amount of sugar in 16 ounces of soda (500 ml). Contrary to what many people believe the sugar is more or less identical (about 50% glucose, 50% fructose).

Sugar from fruit can shut down fat burning. This can increase your hunger and slow your weight loss.For best results avoid fruit or enjoy it occasionally as a treat.

Bottom line:Fruit is candy from nature.

Most people believe that fruit is natural, but todays fruit in the supermarket have very little in common with what fruit used to look like before. Theres way more sugar in modern domesticated fruit.

What Fruits and Vegetables Looked like Before

This applies to women too, but men drink more beer on average. Beer contains rapidly digested carbsthat shut down fat burning. Thats why beer is sometimes referred to as liquid bread. Theres a good reason for the term beer belly.

Here aresmarter alcoholic optionsfor losing weight:

These drinks hardly contain any sugar/carbohydrates so theyre better than beer. However, large amounts of alcohol might slow weight loss somewhat, so moderation is still a good idea.

LowCarbAlcohol theBest and the Worst

Many people replace sugar with artificial sweeteners in the belief that this will reduce their calorie intake and cause weight loss. It sounds plausible. Several studies, however, have failed to show any positive effect on weight loss by consuming artificial sweeteners instead of plain sugar.

Instead, according to scientific studies,artificial sweeteners canincrease appetite and maintain cravings for sweet food. And one recent independent study showed that switching drinks with artificial sweeteners to water clearly helped women lose weight:

Study: Avoiding Diet Beverages Helps Women Lose Weight

This could be because the body increases insulin secretion in anticipation that the sugar will appear in the blood. When this doesnt happen, blood sugar drops and hunger increases. Whether this chain of events regularly take place is somewhat unclear. Something odd happened when I tested Pepsi Max though, and there are well-designed studies showing increased insulin when using artificial sweeteners.

Furthermore, artificial sweeteners can maintain an addiction to sweets and lead to snack cravings. And the long term effects of consuming artificial sweeteners are unknown.

Studies claiming to show neutral or positive effects of sweeteners are usually funded by the beverage industry.

By the way, Stevia is marketed as a natural alternative to artificial sweeteners. Thats marketing talk. There is nothing natural abouta processed super-sweet white powder like Stevia.

If youre having trouble losing weight I suggest that you completely avoid sweeteners. As a bonus youll soon start to enjoy the natural sweetness of real food, once youre no longer adapted to the overpowering artificial sweetness of junk food and diet sodas.

24206:35Do you find the idea of avoiding sweeteners almost impossible to imagine? Addiction to sugar and sweet foods is very common, but its possible to become free. Check out our video course with addiction specialist Bitten Jonsson, RN.

Read More about Artificial Sweeteners

Many prescription drugs can stall your weight loss. Discuss any change in treatment with your doctor. Here are the worst three:

These other medications can also cause problems:

Have you ever wished for more hours of sleep, and a less stressful life in general? Most people have and that can be bad news for their weight.

Chronic stress may increase levels of stress hormones such as cortisol in your body. This can cause increased hunger and result in weight gain. If youre looking to lose weight, you should review possible ways to decrease or better handle excessive stress in your life. Although this often demands substantial changes, even altering small things such as posture may immediately affect your stress hormone levels, and perhaps your weight.

You should also make an effort to get enough good sleep, preferably every night. Strive to wake up refreshed of your own accord, independently of the alarm clock. If youre the kind of person who always gets brutally woken up by the alarm ringing, you might never be giving your body adequate rest.

One way to combat this is to go to bed early enough for your body to wake up autonomously before the alarm clock goes off. Letting yourself get a good nights sleep is another way of reducing stress hormone levels.

Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, comes hand in hand with sugar cravings. It also has an adverse effect on self-discipline and makes it painfully easy to give in to temptation (its no coincidence that induced sleep deprivation is a common interrogation technique). Similarly, sleep deprivation weakens your resolve to work out.

Do you have trouble sleeping even if theres ample time for it? Here are five tips from an expert:

Finally, make sure that your bedroom is dark enough, and stays at a pleasant temperature. Sleep well!

Many may find the above guidelines difficult to follow, perhaps because of a lack of time (or the equivalent small children!). But stressing less and sleeping more doesnt just feel good. It can also play a part in helping you get thinner.

Read More About the Benefits of Sleep

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