Experience Dynamite Weight Loss Results Without Giving Up Your Favorites

In an attempt to eat healthier and lose weight many people have given up there sweet tooth...

Perhaps you're one of the many who have adopted a diet void of all the things you love...Cookies, cake, pudding and all other favorite foods all for the sake of dropping a few pounds.

But is all of this completely necessary?

Do you really have to suffer through a "boring diet" to shed that extra weight?

You will be happy to know that the answer is no. The problem with the sweets we eat is not the sugar in them unless the sugar is refined.

Walk into any grocery store and the shelves are lined with processed foods, most of which contain sugar in its refined form. Read any food label and you're likely to find ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, another name for refined sugar. Heck, it's even found in items that you would never expect...Items such as Whole wheat bread, salad dressing, canned fruit and many others.

But what is it about refined sugar that is contributing to those extra pounds?

The answer lies in the way it affects your metabolism.

Your body runs off of energy from the food you eat. Every time your heart beats, you blink an eye or take a step your body uses energy. Your body obtains that energy from the food you eat through a process called metabolism. Simply defined, metabolism is the process of breaking down food into energy to be used to carry out body processes.

Forgive me for being scientific, but do you remember your high school chemistry class? What happens when you burn something? A series of chemical reactions takes place. It's no different with your body. When food is broken down by your body (metabolized) a serious of chemical reactions occurs. If the food you eat is in its natural state the reactions are positive. However, if the food you eat is not in its natural state (refined) the reactions are not positive.

So what does refined sugar have to do with all of this?

Refined sugar is not in its natural state. Therefore, the chemical reactions that occur when refined sugar is being broken down by your body are not positive. In fact, the process of breaking down refined sugar produces poisons! These poisons move throughout your body and have an extremely negative impact on your metabolism. Over time, the continuous consumption of refined sugar creates an extremely inefficient metabolism making it harder for your body to convert the food you eat into energy.

What's the solution?

If you are looking to shed some extra pounds, the elimination of refined sugar will work wonders. Purchase desserts that have organic, non-altered sugar. This is not a license to over-indulge yourself, but there is no need to suffer through a boring diet.

Jason Clemens is a leading weight loss and nutrition expert.
"Learn how you can lose 20 pounds this month
without giving up your sweet tooth?"
==>Visit naturally-lose-weight-fast.com

Turbulence Training Review

Like so many other people, I have been trying to get my weight under control. I have tried everything from L.A. Diet which is liquid only to Adkins and many other fad diets. I came across “Turbulence Training” one day when I was search for a diet and exercise plan on the internet. Turbulence Training was created by Craig Ballantyne, a certified strength and conditioning coach.

I was pretty skeptical about the claims the program makes. I decided to try Turbulence Training for two reasons. Number one is the low price, I have paid much more for useless training videos and equipment. Number two, there is an eight week money back guarantee. I told myself I would try the program for a month and get my money back if I didn't see any results.

On to the program itself. Turbulence Training is designed for busy people, which was great for me. You work out three time per week for 45 minutes each session and all the exercises can be done in the privacy of your own home.

I started Turbulence Training with a lot of hesitation. I had been using a treadmill at home 4 times a week for an hour and a half. I didn't think there was any way working out half as long and one less time per week would produce any results. Boy was I wrong.

Let me say this, within a month of starting the program, co-workers were beginning to ask questions. The workouts are short but they are very intense. With Turbulence Training, I have been able to lose fat and build muscle at the same time. This is something I had never been able to do before, I was always just trying to get rid of the fat and not worried about muscle building. Now I am working towards that really toned look that I have always wanted.

Not long after my co-workers began asking questions, some of my friends began to ask what I was doing as well. I clued them in to Turbulence Training and got a couple of them hooked. We have been working out together for the past couple weeks and having other people to work out with has just added to my motivation.

I can honestly recommend Turbulence Training to anyone that is fed up with fad diets and working out for hours with no results. A lot of people have had success with Turbulence Training and you can read other testimonials on their website.

Justin Biggs is a businessman and former fad diet tester. To learn more about Turbulence Training please visit Turbulence Training.

High Metabolism Loses Belly Fat Fast

One of the keys to losing belly fat fast is to increase your metabolism. This is really a simple concept. But some people have taken this to extremes and resorted to medication. It is not necessary.

If you are already on a sensible diet and have an exercise program in place, what you need to know is how to get your body to burn the fat fast. Belly fat is no different from any other fat in your body. To burn belly fat fast, you must burn calories fast.

We all know that metabolism burns up body fats. But strength training, one of the most effective ways to keep metabolism up, can be misleading. Just because you are on a strength training program, it does not mean that you are maximizing your metabolism and thus, your fat burn rate.

Many trainers acknowledge that the intensity of the strength training plays an important role in increasing your metabolic rate. If you want to burn fat, you need to increase the intensity of your strength training. A high intensity work out will not only have the benefit of burning more fat during the exercise, but it will have the added benefit of keeping the calories burning for hours after the exercise. This effect is commonly known as the afterburn.

So, together with your cardio program, you must make sure that you incorporate strength training and intensive work out sessions into your overall exercise regime. If you can do this, you will be able to sustain a very high calorie burn over a sustained period. This is the best and most effective way to lose belly fat fast.

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Lose Weight Fast - Once and For All

Many people had asked me over the years how to lose weight fast and I answered each and everyone of them the same thing, with hard work, results will not come just by sitting at home all day, losing weight is as every other project hard at the beginning, but don't let that stop you, there are many things ordinary people can overcome with determination, willpower and hard work.

It's only too often that people quit their plans before they even get a good grip on them and especially since we need around three weeks to get used to new habits and other changes in our lives. There are also other things you can benefit apart from looking good. People will judge you by your appearance, whether is it a good or a bad one.

Obviously good looking people have advantages over certain things in our lives, they have more options to build their future on and other advantages in society. Only thing keeping you from becoming that good looking person is a few months of hard work and devotion. If you can get that tip and follow it, everything else will be as easy as a walk in the park.

And you can learn a great lesson from this, try to keep your goals where you can reach them and try to focus on visualizing them, if you won't forget why you are doing this you will not lose motivation. I don't get it why some people stay unhappy with their bodies through their whole lives and regret not going to gym day after day.

It will only take you a minute of your time per day to get your engine working. I know that nowadays life revolves so fast and leaves us with almost no spare time, but if you want something strong enough, you can make time and that is all that I need you to do, take that hour from your daily routines and change your body, you have to do it once.

Why not start now? Obviously best ways of losing weight are good diets and daily cardio exercises such as running or jogging. Since following a good diet might prove quite a challenge try to keep following them for at least a month since this is the time it usually takes for us to start noticing changes.

So only thing you need to do is start and keep on going for at least a month, take an hour of your time and convert it into some quality cardio training.

This is not all I have prepared for you, read more useful tips on CLICK HERE.

The Why of Weight Loss

No matter if you are carrying a little extra around the middle or are pleasing plump, no one wants to be overweight.

If you are happy with your weight, you belong to the minority of people in the world, but should be applauded for your positive outlook on your life and your body. However, weight loss still may be needed. Many people who are overweight say that they are happy with their bodies, but the fact remains that weight loss in order to achieve a healthy weight is very important. There are a number of reasons you should consider weight loss, even if you don't mind having a few extra pounds. One important reason for the why of weight loss is that our entertainment media has programed us to believe that thin is in. If you are not thin you are not in. It can be a matter of self esteem. Overweight peoople also tend to have more health problems. Problems like heart condition, diabetes, and other ailments.Along with heart disease, having high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels can also put you at risk for a stroke. Strokes occur when blood, and therefore oxygen, cannot reach the brain. This can happen due to high cholesterol. When you have high cholesterol, the fatty deposits build up on your artery walls. If a piece of this plaque breaks off and travels to the heart, it causes a heart attack, and traveling to the brain causes a stroke.

Another why for weight loss is that most overweight people do not get enough exercise. Being overweight makes it difficult and tiring to exercise and is often avoided for that reason. A good exercise program will make up for a lot of dietary health abuses . This is a difficult place to give advice. We all no how important regular exercise is for our health and good looks. Nevertheless, there are ways to increase the amount of exercise we get without an extra trip to the gym. Studies have shown that people whop walk faster tend to maintain their weight better than people who walk more slowly. Pick up the pace when you are roaming around the mall.

Being overweight is also bad for women who wish to become pregnant. When you're overweight, the hormones in your body are changing, and if you don't get the right nutrients you may find that your body does not produce the right chemicals for the hormones needed to ovulate or carry a child. Even if you become pregnant, being overweight puts you at risk for a miscarriage or health problems with the baby.

You may find it difficult to purchase clothing in your size or you may find that the clothing that does come in larger sizes is more expensive. This is simply due to the manufacturer need more material to make the same article of clothing. Problems extend beyond shopping when doing things like visiting theme parks, where you may not be able to ride all of the rides, or using public transportation, where you may feel crowded in seats made for smaller people. Losing weight, even if you are currently happy with your own weight, is always a healthy and smart option, until you reach a normal weight. Beyond the health world, being overweight can also affect your daily life.

Article by Maurice Petersen. For more interesting articles on weight loss check out my Weight Loss Tips Site blog

Weight Loss - Reasons For Being Overweight and Obese

It is true that if you are overweight, you could be in deep problem. Overweight persons have significant risk of heart disease, Stroke, diabetes, Gallbladder disease, Sleep apnea and respiratory problems and hypertension in comparison to a normal person. Besides all the health problems obese people has more chances of feeling depressed due to his/her physical unattractiveness thus a lot of people are interested in weight reduction programs. According to a recent study about overweight people in United States, it is found that more than 50% of American citizen are overweight. There could be lot of reasons for being overweight but some of the major reasons are listed as below-

• Overeating: Overeating is primary and main reason for being overweight. Most people simply overeat only for being lonely, depressed or bored. Overweight persons always have craving for more food and their taste buds are always tempted for more and more food.
• Wrong eating habits: excessive use of fatty foods and soft drinks often lead to weight gain. Some of the high calorie foods that can cause overweight are cheesy burgers, pizzas, French fries etc. these are high in calories and fat content so it is better to avoid them, or should be used less.
• Genetics: some people are genetically overweight when one or both parents are carriers of faulty genes. Slow metabolic rate or presence of fat in and around midsection is all because of gene, inherited through your parents.
• Use of Anti-Depressants Medications: Some medicines such as anti-depressants medicines, beta-blockers or birth control pill can contribute to weight gain.
• Lack of physical activities: Most of overweight people have a history of being deskbound. Regular exercise can help in reducing weight.
• Sleep Deprivation: In a study conducted in United States it is found that if people get less than 8 hours of sound sleep, tend to gain more weight than those that usually sleep more. Sleep deprivation can cause more hormones secretion to eat more.

How to reduce your weight?

Reducing weight is not as difficult as some people say. It is a popular misconception that "weight reduction programs" is necessary to loose weight. Your can reduce your weight without going for any expensive weight reduction quick solution programs. Reasons for being overweight may be numerous but the most important aspect about weight reduction is your high morale; if you have the determination and will power you can get rid of your obesity. Change your eating habits, eat less fatty foods, drink lots of water, do regular exercise, and you will soon feel that you are more healthy, attractive and happy but not overweight.

Reduce weight is always about foods and exercises, the combination of both has been proven very effective not only to lose weight but as well as to live healthily. If you are about to search for the methods, you would be glad to visit combination of foods and exercises to reduce weight for information.

Ivy is a mother of three. She used to be fat and she has tried a lot of methods in order to lose weight. Now she wants to share what she has learned and her secret, visit her website at weight loss methods if you want to have a good appearance and be healthy at the same time.

Medifast Diet and Fat-Burning State

The medifast diet is a very safe and effective diet and weight loss program. The main reason for this is because it gives enough nutrition while at the same time induces your body into a mild fat-burning state.

What is the Fat-Burning State?

When you are on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan, your daily calorie intake is very low at around 800 to 1,000 calories. This causes your body to enter a fat-burning state - a "mild ketosis". In this state, your bodys fat releases free fatty acids, which are transformed by the liver to an energy source - the ketones. This mild fat-burning state helps the body achieve fast weight loss while preserving muscle tissue. It also helps eliminate physical hunger and provides sufficient levels of energy at the same time.

The fat-burning state is not harmful to your health. It is just a normal way that your body uses to manage energy. You get enough protein intake on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan so that you are protected from losing muscle tissue. Regular exercise also helps in this area.

Are you in a fat-burning state?

You will know that you are in the fat-burning state if you feel less hungry and more energized, and start losing weight at a steady rate. It usually takes about 3-5 days, after you start the medifast diet, for you to move into the fat-burning state.

Do I need to use ketone test strips?

It is not recommended that you use ketone test strips while on the medifast 5 & 1 plan because:

1) With medifast program, you are only in a mild fat-burning state. The ketone test strips are meant to be used for a much stronger fat-burning state as you would be in a low carbohydrate diet.

2) The ketone test strips can give you inaccurate results if you are not using them consistently very day - the same way at the same time.

Jodi Thompson runs a few websites on weight loss and diet programs, including medifastworks.com To learn more about medifast diet program, tips, and stories, visit medifastworks.com

Taking a Weight Loss Dietary Supplement

A weight loss dietary supplement has different functions in helping aid weight loss. Some act as appetite suppressants to help users eat less, therefore have lesser calories to burn. Some act as thermogenics, increasing the body's metabolism, which means increasing its calorie-burning abilities, while some, on most occasions, support a combination of functions for speedier weight loss.

More doesn't mean more

Some people make the mistake of taking a weight loss dietary supplement above its recommended dosages. This not only futile because studies have shown that increasing dosages have very little effect on its efficacy, but more importantly can be very dangerous. While most weight loss dietary supplements have natural ingredients, that doesn't mean that more of it in your body is good. Dosages are given for that reason. Because the ingredients in the weight loss dietary supplement have undergone testing and have yielded to be most effective in particular potencies, anything less or in excess will negate the benefits that a particular weight loss dietary supplement has in general. You know that anything in excess is bad for you and that also applies even if you're taking more of the good stuff.

Buy safely

Apart from taking proper dosages, safeguard your health by buying only from licensed manufacturers and distributors. The weight loss industry is home to a lot of amazing products, and consequently, to those who want to cash in on the many who are eager to use these products. As such, counterfeit products might be circulating in your locality. To be sure, buy only from respectable drug stores and health food stores. Be wary also of weight loss dietary supplements that are extremely inexpensive. You may be tempted to buy them because of the savings you'll get but there's always a catch. And your health isn't something so easy to get back once you get caught.

Phillip England is a weight loss expert and Author of the popular report "The Ultimate Weight Loss Secret". To receive your free information on the secret that doctors, and health companies either don't know, or don't want you to know, please see http://www.theultimateweightlosssecret.com/secret

2 Hours Can Save Your Life

Its much easier to maintain a healthy level of low body fat than it is to lose 10-15% body fat and 30 lbs or more. But it can be done. Pick up any fitness publication these days and you will find amazing transformation pictorials. Check the timeline. It may have taken these people 3 months, 6 months, or even a year, but these people have made incredible journeys.

Were they less busy than other overweight individuals? Are people too busy with appointments? If that is a problem, individuals should schedule an appointment 2-4 times per week with the gym just like it was any other business meeting. Spend a half-day on the weekend shopping for an accomplished personal trainer that can give you a program that requires only 2-4 hours per week. C'mon, 2-4 hours per week, who can't spare that?

What type of exercise should you do? As mentioned, the more muscle mass you have, the more energy that will be spent at rest due to an increase resting metabolic rate. Next, you have to do lots and lots of running or biking right? Well, no, not necessarily. Aerobic exercise certainly is beneficial to a healthy cardiovascular system and is important for the performance of some sports and it is likely one of the best methods for obese individuals to lose weight. If nothing else, it should improve some health parameters.

Aerobic endurance exercise has traditionally been used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes but its effects on long-term glycemic control is small. Researchers found that resistance training helped increase muscle mass and improve long-term glycemic control in an elderly type 2 diabetic population (Eriksson et al., 1997). Chronic exercise training in diabetic rats was associated with reductions in basal glycemia, and such reductions did not occur in sedentary diabetic groups (Farrell et al., 1999). Therefore, exercise programs should focus on increasing muscle mass because muscle in the prime user of blood glucose.

Tremblay et al. (1994) showed that vigorous exercise (high-intensity interval training) favors negative energy and lipid balance to a greater extent than exercise of low to moderate intensity (traditional aerobic exercise). Moreover, the metabolic adaptations taking place in the skeletal muscle in response to the interval program appear to favor the process of lipid oxidation. This study compared traditional endurance training against high-intensity interval training. Even though the interval training expended less energy per training session, the subjects lost more body fat than those performing regular endurance training.

If you are super busy, simply split your training time in half or thirds. A 15-minute walk two times a day plus as little as 15 minutes of resistance training can pay off. Aim to burn more and more calories every exercise session. Up the intensity! Yearn to lift 5 lbs more weight this week, or get another 2-3 reps per set. Improvement will equal results. Don't get put off by the people that do have 2 hours to train. Realize there is a point of diminishing returns...think about it, unless you are a competitive athlete, are you really getting much more from spending 45 minutes running as opposed to 30 minutes? Very soon you will realize that there is nothing to slipping in some fitness to your workday.

You set goals for retirement savings, for business performance, for golf scores, why not some fitness goals? You get professional plumbing help, you have a professional cleaner clean your clothes, so what's wrong with asking a fitness professional to fine-tune your body? What one of these people can teach you in 1-2 hours is something that will last a lifetime!

To be optimistic, it is simply a problem of education and exercise, moderation and muscle mass, teaching and training. For the amount of commercial time an adult sits through during an hour of prime time TV (about 15 minutes), one could easily read an article from a fitness magazine detailing and outlining a fitness regimen for success against weight gain. Surely, in this society that allows one to operate fitness equipment while watching television, there is an opportunity to fight against fat. There are 168 hours in a week. If you train, that only takes 2-4 hours, plus 1-2 hours for travel and showers, etc. That leaves you approximately 160 hours for work, friends, family, sleep, and T.V.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Mens Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Fat Loss Lies - The Lie Behind Low Fat Foods

Many people try low fat or even no fat food, thinking that if they cut the fat out of their diet, they will naturally lose fat and pounds. A lot of diet plans are based on that idea and while it may be good for the bank accounts of the people who market these diets, the results of many who use these diets can be discouraging.

It is so disappointing when most of these people see their weight loss prayers go unanswered, because the fat doesn't dissolve, sometimes it even increases. And then you're left puzzled and thinking: "How can this be happening?"

What the manufacturers and advertisers of low fat or zero fat food don't tell you, is that our body turns a lot of other food groups into fat. For example, everybody knows that sugar is fattening, but sugar has no fat in it! How can it be fattening? That is the big lie behind low or zero fat foods.

The truth of the matter is that if we eat too much sugar at the wrong time, our body won't know what to do with it. This isn't only true for sugar, it is true for a lot of other foods as well. If you eat too much white bread or too much pasta, your body won't know what to do with all that either.

Once the body doesn't know what to do with the food we put into it, it turns it to fat. Why? Because the body believes that fat is security. Our body remembers the time when our ancestors lived in the wild and had to struggle to get food in order to survive. The more fat the body has, the longer it can go on without food. In our modern society we have no such fears, of course, but that's how the body acts. It's nature and there's nothing we can do about it.

What we can do is stop viewing low fat foods as the answer to our weight loss problems. It is not!

What we should do is follow a diet that lets us eat the right kind of fat with the right combination of carbs, protein and sugar at the right time of day. If we follow a diet like that, the fat and pounds will come off in no time.

To read more on a diet plan that combines the right kind of fat, carbs, proteins and sugar, click here: Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review

John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life. He is an advocate of safe dieting and fitness. He writes about a diet which is based on correct eating on this dedicated webpage. Read his review at: http://squidoo.com/fatloss4idiotsdiet

How To Lose 10 Pounds In 10 Days

The easiest and fastest way to lose 10 pounds in 10 days is not by starving yourself or exercising but by eating more. Am I crazy? Did I just say eat more? Yes I did and through a special dieting technique called calorie shifting the more you eat will = to more pounds you lose! So if you're still wondering how to lose 10 pounds in 10 days, look no further because the answer is calorie shifting!

You're probably thinking if this diet is so amazing then it has to be difficult to accomplish, right? Wrong! Calorie shifting does not force you to change your lifestyle or torture yourself. It's main purpose is to naturally enhance your body's fat burning system which will cause you to lose weight fast. The only thing you have to know is how to do calorie shifting and weight loss will follow automatically.

All that you have to do is eat 4 or more meals a day and mix up the amounts of calories they contain. Basically just eat 4 meals with different calorie values in each meal. When you do this, weight loss will happen VERY rapidly. How is that possible?

Well here's a little secret very few people know: The body has a natural way of knowing what you will eat. This is because it's used to an eating routine that you've created over eating in a certain way for a long time and because of that it's always used to burning the same number of calories.

So even if you try normal dieting and eat less, your body will adapt to this change and burn less calories to keep the routine in check. Therefore you will not lose weight. Anyone who has ever tried losing weight by eating less found out very slowly how ineffective it really is!

But calorie shifting will give the opposite effect. How? Calorie shifting main purpose is to manipulate your body's fat burning routine, which is why you will be eating 4 but every meal will have different calorie values. And when your body will feel this sudden change, it will once again try to keep a routine going BUT instead of burning less calories like last time, it will instead burn more! Why?

For 2 major reasons:

1. The first is that you will be eating more forcing your body's fat burning system to work more often to burn calories.

2. The second reason is that every meal will have different calorie values so it will constantly catch your body's fat burning system off guard (remember it expects a routine) which will trigger it to increase your metabolism and fat burning process. These two things will cause extreme weight loss to occur. As a result you can lose 10 pounds in 10 days. Plus it's completely safe.

And it doesn't matter what your weight and age is. It doesn't even matter if you have bad genes either. The calorie shifting technique does not discriminate and works for absolutely everyone. So once again if you're still wondering how to lose 10 pounds in 10 days, you've just found the answer (calorie shifting)!

Calorie shifting is an amazing and flexible diet that anyone can do. It is a much safer and more effective way of losing weight fast than taking diet pills, doing rigorous workouts and starving yourself. If you want to find out more about calorie shifting, you can click here to pick up a free 20 page weight loss guide with information on this dieting technique including important guidelines, detailed info and helpful resources.

4 Sure-Fire Tips For Effective Weight Loss

Are you just plain fed up because you haven't lost weight for a long time now on that latest fad diet, well please stop! Don't even think about trying another diet, because it will only produce the same results as you have already seen before.

Have a look at the four sure fire tips found below that are based on "Scientific Principles" that have always been around, but are not followed by the majority of weight loss programs you see these days.

So lets have a look:

1. Increasing Your Metabolism

In order to produce Sustained, Permanent and Long-Term Weight Loss, it's imperative that you boost your metabolism. And the most effective way to raise your metabolism is to have a greater proportion of functional muscle on your body.

The only way to build this lean muscle so you can raise your metabolism is through "Strength Training". There's no other method that works wonders on the Metabolism like Strength Training.

By performing Strength Training, you'll effectively increase the amount of functional lean muscle on your body so that your metabolism will elevate.

After a Strength Training session your body will undergo a significant increase or "Spike" in Metabolism, which will allow you to burn much more fat then you were able to before.

2. It's All About Lean Muscle

"The amount of fat the body can burn is directly related to the more lean muscle your body can hold."

If your muscle system can sustain more energy and use this energy significantly when performing strength training, then it will be able to burn off the calories you eat and the excess fat on your body.

In other words, if your muscles become stronger and can hold more energy then you should be able to release this energy more efficiently to increase your metabolism, and to burn off excess calories that you have eaten.

Once we can build more lean muscle through our own strength, then our bodies will become more efficient at burning fat.

It's also the amount of lean muscle on your body that makes you look good Once you burn off the excess fat from your body, the lean muscle underneath your skin will be exposed making you look healthy, energetic, and well toned.

3. Decrease Your Daily Calories

For years now, we have been told to use dieting to rid the excess fat from our bodies.

The trouble with this concept is that the low calorie restricted diet would throw the body into starvation mode, with the body holding onto the fat and using precious muscle tissue for energy.

This would then lower the metabolism causing greater muscle loss and when the diet is broken the unwanted fat would not only return but actually increase because to the lowered metabolism.

The way around this is to cut your daily calorie intake by a small amount of calories only. This will stop any starvation mechanisms from clicking in. You can do this by making up a seven day eating plan and writing down every thing you eat for the week, and then work out the calories you have eaten with a calorie counter. Divide this figure by seven and you have your daily calorie value.

Decrease daily calorie value by a couple of hundred calories per day and no more. This will generate slow weight loss and the majority will be fat loss only. The daily calories should be consumed during the day with small frequent meals.

4. Fast Walking Burns Fat

All you need to do now is incorporate "Fast Walking" into your weight loss program to hasten the burning of excess fat.

Not only is fast walking better much easier on the hips, but it also produces a greater percentage of fat loss as opposed to jogging or running.

Here are some of the benefits of Fast Walking.

Easy to Perform
Most Conventional
All Natural Body Movement
Doesn't Cause Injuries
Can Be Done Anywhere
The Best Minimal Effort Exercise for Fat Loss

"I can't stress enough how Fast Walking is necessary in every weight loss program."

Your next step? To take what you have just learned and apply them to your weight daily weight loss regime.

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' weight loss e-course.

How To Burn Body Fat - Benefits Of Starting Your Own Weight Lifting Program

Whether you are young or old, battling with a weight problem or have body image issues, we ask the same task in mind: how to burn body fat. One school of thought is to start incorporating strength training into your life style with your own weight lifting program.

Weight lifting is one of the key elements in any effort toward fat loss. It also provides the most change in your body. While of course diet and cardiovascular exercise such as aerobics are very important in burning calories, weight lifting changes the way your body looks.

A weight lifting routine will help to raise your bodys metabolism. Youll burn more calories and fat. Weight lifting builds and maintains muscle mass. A weight lifting routine will make your body stronger, and increase endurance when you participate in physical activity. This is also a great benefit if you have kids!

Weight lifting is directly related to how your body is shaped. Therefore, it may enhance your self esteem and increase your self confidence. Certain weight lifting exercises that focus on the bodys core can improve coordination and balance.

While it may be exciting to start your own weight lifting program, there are some important points you must keep in mind.

The first is that you must always do a warm up of some sort before you start weight lifting. Warming up can help in preventing injuries. You can do some light cardiovascular exercises (such as walking on the treadmill for 5 minutes) or a perform set with very light weights before working on sets with heavier weights.

You must always lift your weights with focusing on the movement. Try not to perform the movement too quick and also focus on the muscle you are working. If you find yourself having to swing to bring the weight up, its probably too heavy for you. On certain movements you should be able to cheat a little bit to move the weight. However, you should discuss work with a personal trainer on these types of movements.

Incorporate stretching into your weight lifting routine. You can perform stretches in between sets. If you do stretch in between sets, you should stretch the same muscle group you are working with. You also have to make sure you have a full range of motion throughout the entire weight lifting movement.

While you are probably mostly concerned with your abdominal muscles, remember they are a muscle group too. Dont get caught up working your abdominals every day of the week. The frequency of performing abdominal exercises depends on the exercise program you are training with. While some theories or exercise programs require more frequency in working out the abdominals, you can probably do fine with working the muscle group 1 2 times a week.

For more important information on how to burn body fat be sure to visit http://www.addfitness.com/turbulence-Training.htm where you will a review of Turbulence Training. Turbulence training is the leading program on starting your own effective fat burning weight lifting routine.

Target Heart Rate: Worthless?

Not long ago, before a severe heat wave struck our region, I got together with a few of my co-workers to play tennis one evening after work. I really love to play tennis even though Ive never progressed beyond the intermediate hacker level.

I do have a few brief flashes of what appears to be a game, but thats usually overshadowed by a host of botched shots, which I like to refer to as unforced errors.

The temperature was in the low 80s and the average age of my colleagues is around 30. At 49, Im the senior citizen in the group, but I felt I could hang with them.

Im not sure if it was the heat or being out of condition, but after about 20 minutes I had to excuse myself and take a breather. I really didnt feel very good and I didnt want to take any chances, but after a 5-minute rest I caught my second wind and played for another hour and a half.

I felt somewhat embarrassed because my co-workers know how fanatical I am about running off to the gym at lunchtime to workout. It also hit home that maybe Im not in very good cardio-vascular shape! It really made me rethink my training regimen.

My first thought was maybe all this emphasis on staying in the fat-burning heart rate zone was really just a false sense of complacency. Maybe what I really needed to be doing was getting my heart rate up much higher and working on improving my cardio conditioning. At least this would be the best way to improve my stamina on the tennis court.

The other harsh reality is that all this so-called fat burning training wasnt really burning very much fat!

Coincidentally, I recently came across an article that discussed a book entitled The Heart Rate Monitor Guidebook by Sally Edwards. She states, The 220 minus your age formula is worthless. She advises that you determine your maximum heart by using the Sub-Max Step Test.

This simple test is performed by stepping up and down on an 8-inch step for 3 minutes without pausing and then taking your heart rate during the third minute. I just did this test today at the gym. I used one of those step aerobic platforms, which works great by the way.

Once you have your heart rate, she then advises that you add an estimate factor to it based on your fitness level:

Poor shape = 55
Average shape = 65
Excellent shape = 75

You then take 70% 80% of this number to get your fat-burning target heart rate.

My results from the step test were:

144 bpm at the end of 3 minutes
144 + 65 (assume average shape) = 209 bpm
.70 * 209 = 146 bpm (target fat-burning heart rate)

80% would be 167 bpm, which quite frankly I think would kill me. She advises not to go over 90%. Dont worry Sally, theres no chance of that happening!

Please be very careful when performing this test as well as calculating your sub-max heart rate. As you can see, this number will most likely be substantially higher than the old method:

200 49 = 171 bpm
.70 * 171 = 120 bpm

What it looks like to me is that this sub-max method actually puts your fat-burning heart rate closer to your cardio-conditioning heart rate derived with the old method. This seems to make sense. Highly conditioned athletes in sports such as basketball usually arent carry around a lot of body fat!

So if you feel that your training and conditioning are at an intermediate to advanced level, you may want to take up the intensity of your workouts and see if the fat starts to melt away -- like I do on a hot summer evening while playing tennis!

Rich Rojas covers the fitness equipment industry and elliptical trainers in particular. Check out his Elliptical Trainer Reviews and articles on health and fitness at http://www.ellipticalhome.com

Weight Loss Diet Recipe That Can Reduces Over Weight

A changing environment has broadened food options and eating habits. While such foods are fast and convenient they also tend to be high in fat, sugar, and calories. Choosing many foods from these areas may contribute to an excessive calorie intake. Some foods are marketed as healthy, low fat, or fat-free, but may contain more calories than the fat containing food they are designed to replace. Pre-packaged foods, fast food restaurants, and soft drinks are more accessible. It is important to read food labels for nutritional information and to eat in moderation.

Food is more powerful than any prescription weight loss pills, because the food that you eat can either make you THIN or FAT. You don't get fat because of a lack of exercising, that's a myth. You get fat because you don't eat the right foods at the right intervals each day. You can get slim by eating the right foods at the right intervals each day.

Creating effective nutrition plans to help you reach your fat loss is important. With a little research and planning you can create a weight loss diet recipe. You just need to learn about feeding your body correctly and identify what will be a fit for you. It will probably mean a conscious effort to change habits, since the old habits got you where you're at and you don't want to go there again. The two biggest reasons people give up their diet programs are impatience and unrealistic expectations regarding the time, effort and results of a safe and lasting weight loss process. Once you are up and running with your own plan, then you'll be able to be more consistent at staying with your diet.

Here are some popular weight loss diet recipes which can help you to get over weight loss:

Cabbage Soup Diet

This recipe is based on the idea that a person can eat as much soup and drink as much water as they would like with a combination of a very strict diet of other foods. The recipe for the soup is a combination of cabbage, onions, and tomatoes, flavoured with bouillon, onion soup mix and tomato juice.

Atkins Diet

Basically, it's a low-carb, high-protein diet. While you can enjoy as much protein as possible, including: meat, chicken, eggs, cheese, butter, and all of the side dishes which are loaded with fat content, but you cannot have any carbohydrates such as bread, fruit, rice, sugar, milk, pasta, or potatoes.

South Beach Diet

This diet works in three phases, the first two for a specific timeframe and the third phase for life. Actually, you will be eating in three phases, normal-size meals but that not all! With the diet, you can dine on mouth-watering foods like Chicken en Papillote, Shrimp Louis, and even Chocolate Sponge Cake and still lose the weight!

Burning off your fat and losing weight quickly then imagine having a brand new body in just several days. Weight Loss Diet Recipe info provides detailed information on Fat Loss 4 Idiots

Dieting

Everyone is in competition nowadays to look good and live healthy. So to look good usually they go for dieting with the aim of losing weight as personality with overweight is not pleasing.

People diet for many reasons. Some are at an unhealthy weight and need to pay closer attention to their eating and exercise habits. Some play sports and want to be in top physical condition. Others may think they would look and feel better if they lost a few pounds. Lots of people feel pressured to lose weight and try different types of diets. But if you really need to lose weight, improving your eating habits and exercising will help you more than any diet. Dieting could be a solution if done in a right manner. Unhealthy Dieting, especially extreme food-intake reduction and rapid weight loss, can have the following side effects:

• Fatigue
• Depression
• Prolonged hunger
• Sinus
• Muscle loss
• Blood shot eyes
• Gall bladder diseases
• Acidosis
• Rashes
• Irritability
• Fainting

The best way to diet is to eat a wide variety of enough food to meet your body needs. Aim to eat more fruits and veggies, cut back on meats high in fat (like burgers and hot dogs), greasy fried foods, and sweets, and drink more water instead of sugary drinks like sports drinks or sodas. Great Dieting Tips to loose weight safely:

• Eat less. More often.
• Do not eat right before going to bed.
• Kick the sugar habit.
• Shop with calories in mind.
• Reduce the amount of breads, chips, crackers, and salty snacks you eat.
• Exercise daily.
• Drink milk, including fat-free or low-fat milk.
• Drink plenty of water (at least four to six 8-ounce glasses a day).
• Eat lean, high-protein foods, like lean meat, chicken, fish, or beans.
• Eat whole grains (like whole-wheat bread or pasta), which provide fiber, B vitamins, and iron.
• Eat breakfast.
• Choose smaller portions at fast-food restaurants.
• Stay away from fad diets you might lose a few pounds temporarily, but if you do not focus on changing your habits, you will probably just gain it back when you go back to your usual way of eating.
• Do not take diet pills.
• Avoid seeing foods as "good" or "bad" or eliminating entire groups of foods, like dairy. If you eliminate entire food groups, you may miss out on important nutrients, like calcium
• If you choose to become a vegetarian, talk to your doctor or dietitian about how to make nutritious vegetarian choices.

Author is running a health information site http://www.peoples-health.com where information on several diseases like allergies, blood disorders, cancer, childrens health, digestive disorder, liver diseases etc. and tips on dieting, nutrition and improving lifestyle has been provided. Find some useful articles on dieting here- http://www.peoples-health.com/diets.htm

Effective Weight Loss Guide That You Always Forget

Keeping off unwanted pounds is never a walk in the park. There is always something or someone out there that will ruin your weight loss plans for you. Therefore, it is crucial that you find other ways to step-up your existing program for shedding excess weight. Here are a few tips that can give you more thrust on your weight loss plans.

Small Frequent Feeding Is The Key

By limiting your food intake to only three times in a day, you allow your body to starve needlessly between mealtimes. In turn, your body will react as if there is a mini-famine going on, so it will shift into mini-survival mode, meaning it will reduce your metabolic rate to conserve energy.

In contrast, by eating 5-6 small meals in a day, your metabolic rate will be revved up; burning more calories and helping you lose weight. Remember, the trick is to eat small amounts of food without allowing your body to feel starved; so do not overfeed yourself during mealtime.

List Down The Food You Eat

You are what you eat. So by writing down everything that passes through your mouth, you will have a better chance of getting to know yourself. At the end of the day, you will be surprised at what type of foods you eat. As an added enlightenment, your list will allow you to realize how much money and effort ultimately goes down the sewer; this will compel you to spend less on junk or unnecessary food items.

Never Skip Breakfast

Whatever you do, never forget breakfast. Why? Because it will allow you to fire up your metabolism early on in the day. That means you will have longer hours to burn off calories. If you skip breakfast, on the other hand, your body will try to conserve more energy by slowing down metabolism.

You will also find that having breakfast will spare you from hunger pangs later in the day; this will allow you to be more careful or discriminating on your food choices which means you will have a lesser tendency to binge on food.

Walk By The Minutes, Not Distance

Usually, fitness experts suggest that thirty minutes of walking is enough exercise for most people. In reality, spending this amount of time walking is only good if you want to maintain your present weight. If you really want to lose weight, you need to do more than the usual thirty minutes. Adding fifteen minutes more to this exercise regimen, making it forty-five minutes, will allow you to burn more calories; that is an additional 300 calories, which can translate to about thirty pounds in one year.

Use Smaller Plates

This is one of the best ways to trick your appetite. You see, scientists have found out that a person tends to eat more when a bigger quantity of food is served, while lesser food on the table would mean lesser food intake. Using this data, you can cheat your appetite by serving food on smaller plates. This way, your plate will always look as if it is filled to the brim, but the actual amount of food in front of you is less than you imagine.

Take Your Time When You're Eating

It takes time for a train to travel from Station A to Station B. In the same manner, the distance between your brain and your stomach will require several minutes before your whole system will realize that you are already full and that you do not need food anymore. Studies have shown that it takes about 20 minutes before the brain will realize that you are indeed stuffed. By eating slowly, you allow your brain to catch up with your body signals which makes you feel satiated.

Indeed, doing the usual weight loss plans may not work for you. Nonetheless, instead of making excuses, you should let your creative juices flow. Losing weight demands a high level of creativity, so you should never leave your weight loss plans at the mercy of fortuitous events. You can boost your efforts by using products like Zylorin. Click on http://www.zylorin.com/ for more details about this supplement.

Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com

Latest Review About "The Truth About Six Pack Abs" Weight Loss System

This weight loss and muscle building program has been designed and created by a Certified Nutrition Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer. the system reveals the real reason why crunches and cardio are not the solution to eliminate the excess belly fat and those not good looking love handles.

The Truth About Six Packs Abs is the ultimate program that will bring you tons of ideas to spice up your workouts and take them to a whole new dimension.

In addition, this weight loss program will open up your mind respect to your diet, and you will face the excess weight loss not as a problem, but as one more of the many sides of your health, exercise and diet programs, that should go all tied up and together as a whole process where in the end, the result is a better you, with a cleaner, healthier and leaner body. The program explains very clearly what most people do wrong when they try to develop rock hard abdominals. This system will save you from wasting long hours at the gym doing cardio, jogging, crunches and other exercises that will not help you to achieve the goal of a flat washboard stomach.

Here are a few of the objectives treated in the program:

- You will be introduced to several innovative and powerful strategies that will make your training and nutrition routines more exciting and result producing than ever before.

- You will find some brand new training techniques and some fresh ideas you have probably never thought of before.

- You will learn some brand new and original nutritional secrets and strategies. None of them is related to the low carb or low fat nonsense we have heard about lately.

This weight loss system will teach you about smart training and healthy nutrition tips that will help you reduce your body fat levels, feel healthier, and in the end, without noticing you will finally be able to see your abs, bringing our a long time hidden midsection but also an eye-catching muscle tone throughout all your body.

The Truth about Six Pack Abs program will show you how to get lean and stay lean for the rest of your life.

J.R. Villa is a health advisor, Internet marketer and researcher. If you want to take a look at his latest reviews on weight loss systems, click this link:

http://weight--loss-reviews.blogspot.com/

How To Pass The Air Force Physical Fitness Test With Ease

If you're reading this, you probably either want to know what you'll have to do for the air force physical fitness test and/or how to train for it.

This article will cover both.

What Is Involved In The Air Force Physical Fitness Test?

You'll be doing exercises in the following 4 areas: aerobic (running), body-composition, push-ups, and crunches.

Now, you'll be rated on a scale of 1-100, but the trick comes with the age groups. You see, with different age groups comes different demands.

Just to state the obvious, the older you are the less you'll be required to do.

If you want a full list of these ages and the requirements you can visit
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforce/l/blmalefitness.htm if you're a male and
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforce/l/blfitfemale.htm if you're a female.

3 Steps To Training For The Air Force Physical Fitness Test

1) The first thing you'll want to do is write down the top grade you can get for each category. For example, 60 pushups would be a perfect 10 for a 20-25 year old.

After you do this, add a few reps and shoot for that. I would personally shoot for 70-75 just to be safe (and maybe impress your future officers).

2) Since you're going to be training to failure during your air force physical fitness test most likely, I would suggest training to failure while you are preparing for the test. However, this is taxing on your body so do not do it everyday. You can try it every other day or ever 2 days, depending on certain factors such as how much you eat, your genetics, etc.

3) The third thing you'll want to do to pass your air force physical fitness test with ease is to start learning how to visualize. It's going to help you tremendously through the grueling workouts the air force will put you through, and it's going to help you reach your goals faster.

The requirements for the air force physical fitness test aren't too hard, but if you're out of shape now they will prove to be a challenge.

Using these 3 techniques, and making sure you prepare in advance, the air force physical fitness test should be a walk in the park for you.

And if you need to lose a lot of weight to make it easier (remember, doing anything with your body will be much easier if you weigh less), there are a large variety of books that are available to help you get a fit body in the shortest amount of time as possible.

Jeremy Reeves believes he's found the best products on the market to help you get in great shape fast. If you're going to start training for the air force physical fitness test, you have to check out the book called "Turbulence Training" that he's reviewed for you on his website - http://www.fitness-product-reviews.com

The Importance of Stretching - A Whole New View

Stretching: Here is a first step we can all do when trying to motivate ourselves to become more involved with Health & Fitness. Start your training program here.

Stretching is highly important, useful and vital to the construct of the human anatomy. So much so, that the designer and Creator of this endless marvel has built it into our nature as an involuntary act. The average person stretches as needed 95 percent of the time with little to no awareness that he or she is even doing it. It is such a key function that God didn't even leave it up to us to make sure it happened. Sure, we can choose to stretch when we want, but we do not need to be so actively involved each time such movement is needed or necessary.

Now I'm not speaking of the kind of stretching one does before or after a workout or training session. Nor am I referring to the times that it is necessary because of a cramp or soreness. I am only identifying your common everyday stretch. The stretch you do prior to standing up from watching TV during the commercials, or getting up from your desk at work or even getting up first thing in the morning. However, such stretches can be incorporated into your daily or weekly training plan. I strongly encourage you to become more actively involved in common everyday stretching. Add these stretches to your Health & Fitness plan. Why?

Well, first of all, they are easy to do. You don't need any fancy equipment or fitness training tools. Secondly, they can be done anywhere. I do mean anywhere. No one will be any the wiser, suspect or lost as to your 'curious' behavior. And thirdly they are not time consuming in any fashion.

But what's the most important reason? What takes place, what happens on the inside, when you find your self needing to stretch? Well, when do you find yourself needing to stretch the most? When you're tired and needing to stay awake, when you've sat still for too long, when your muscles ache, twitch or fall asleep & even when you first wake up in the morning. This is because stretching stimulates muscle, it improves your breathing which helps to oxygenate the blood, it increases blood flow to the brain and it helps to increase your heart rate. It also strengthens and relaxes muscle and improves body composition and stature.

Have you ever noticed when becoming tired you feel compelled to yawn? Yawning is a stretch and it helps to oxygenate the blood and increase flow to the brain. There is a 'monitoring control center' that keeps track of certain functions in the body. When the nervous system relates back to the brain that these functions are operating below their proper levels ... you yawn.

So I say all of this to encourage you to stretch more often. Do it on purpose, do it knowing what you're doing, but by all means do it. It's a great start to the best workout.

Greg Rouse is an accomplished martial artist whose experience reaches back into his early childhood. Having practiced and trained in several different styles and techniques over the many years he is well-rounded and ready to share what he has learned. To learn more about what he can do for you in Health & Fitness, Martial Arts Training, Seminars and Special Programs visit http://www.ctctaekwondo.com

He is also a minister in training who loves to reveal Truth to any eager and willing listener. If this is you and you would like to hear more, enter into discussion, schedule a visit or see where he'll be next visit myspace.com and search for 'heirtohisriches', or stop by the Living the Ministry Community Forums.

Weight Loss Tips For 2008

The first thing that we have to know before we precede to the topic weight loss tips is that there are no short cut methods for you to shed excess weight over night. It requires will power and patience. Another thing to be remembered before you start acting upon the weight loss tips that you are getting is that shedding weight is some thing that is to be dealt with according to the physique and body nature of individuals. Make sure that the life style that you are going to adopt is suitable for you or not.

Like any other work, a programme to shed weight or the weight loss tip you are to follow should also have a target. You should be definite about how much pounds that you want to reduce and the time period within which you want to achieve that target. Make a fixed time schedule without attempting to drag it to an indefinite period. That will make you find excuses for not following the diet rules and routine exercise that you have to do every day.

Try to collect all available materials on the subject especially when you prepare a diet chart to know the impact of reducing food intake. Avoid vitamin deficiency by taking vitamin and mineral supplement to avoid problems arising out of malnutrition.

The first step to be taken by you is to observe quantity of food that you consume a day. Just observe what all food stuff, including the snacks that you consume while you are watching TV or a movie that you consume to know the exact amount of food that you take a day. It is essential to know what all things you have to quit to get rid of the over weight problem.

Never attempt to skip break fast. A good break fast is some thing that is essential for your body to remain healthy and strong. Avoiding break fast may make you eat more at lunch time.

Add a lot pulses and vegetables into your regular diet. Pulses are good to increase the metabolism of your body. Make it a habit to drink plenty of plain water a day. It will help you to lose weight faster than you think

Shift to four to five small meals instead of taking heavy meals three times a day. If you want to avoid excessive intake of food learn to eat slowly by chewing every bit of your food. Avoid all junk foods and fried items from your regular diet. Avoid occasions that tempts you to take too much food. Follow a regular exercise routine to make the weight shedding programme more effective and quick.

For your free course teaching you exactly how to succeed with your weight loss goals using simple and effective weight loss diets simply go to http://weightlossrevolution.net

How To Lose Weight Quickly - 5 Common Weight Loss Myths Exposed

You might have tried to lose weight numerous times before, only to give up when you don't see immediate results. There are numerous myths around diets, and hopefully, we'll dispel them now!

The first myth folks surrender to is that you'll be able to reduce weight quickly by getting rid of as many calories as possible from your diet or by fasting. This is a very harmful means to do it since your body enters starvation mode, instantly halting fat loss. A lot of folks simply would like to slim down quickly for an outfit they want to fit into for a special social function coming up soon. Do not hold back till the eleventh hour to begin dieting.

A different myth we come across in our pursuit of a slenderer waist is the one that says to exclusively consume a single type of food all day, day-after-day. Grapefruit, pepper-laden water, and even hotdog dieting crazes have led to several bouts of overeating in the past. Embarking on reckless diet crazes means your system isn't obtaining the requisite nutrition it demands to combat sicknesses and remain in good health.

You might have likewise heard that you will be never be able to deviate from your diet plan. Whenever you do, you will be forced to work out for a long time in order to compensate for it. This is not correct. It is all right to eat that dessert occasionally. You simply must correct your calorie consumption for that day. There is actually no need for hours of working out simply to correct for one tiny dessert.

One myth you might have picked up is the one that alleges you can not snack prior to going to sleep, because you will get fat in your sleep. This one is not correct since a diet plan simply signifies that you are eating healthy and keeping an eye on your caloric intake for the day. Consuming a light snack prior to bed Is not going to make a big difference unless it is a full meal or a whole chocolate cake.

How about the one that alleges you can not snack between meals? It is more beneficial to eat snacks. Eat littler meals during the day in order to keep your hunger satisfied. By doing away with snacks between meals, you are simply going to make yourself hungrier at meal times, which makes you to eat a great deal more than you actually must simply to fulfill your craving.

Try not to fall victim to the countless dieting myths circling the internet. A levelheaded balance of correct eating (almost all of the time) and working out can skyrocket your dieting success!

Need a diet to lose weight quickly? Visit http://my-healthy-diet.com for lots more information.

Beck Diet - Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person-and Maintain Weight Loss (Part 2)

Note: we continue the interview with Dr. Judith Beck, author of The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person.

Alvaro Fernandez (AF) had asked Judith Beck (JB), "What are the cognitive and emotional skills and habits that dieters need to train, and where your book helps?" and Dr. Beck had started by listing How to motivate oneself and Plan in advance. The interview cotinues:

JB: Overcome sabotaging thoughts. Dieters have hundreds and hundreds of thoughts that lead them to engage in unhelpful eating behavior. I have dieters read cards that remind them of key points, e.g., that it isn't worth the few moments of pleasure they'll get from eating something they hadn't planned and that they'll feel badly afterwards; that they can't eat whatever they want, whenever they want, in whatever quantity they want, and still be thinner; that the scale is not supposed to go down every single day; that they deserve credit for each helpful eating behavior they engage in, to name just a few.

Also, How to Tolerate hunger and craving. Overweight people often confuse the two. You experience hunger when your stomach feels empty. Craving is an urge to eat, usually experienced in the mouth or throat, even if your stomach is full.

AF: When do people experience cravings?

JB: Triggers can be environmental (seeing or smelling food), biological (hormonal changes), social (being with others who are eating), mental (thinking about or imagining tempting food), or emotional (wanting to soothe yourself when you're upset). The trigger itself is less important than what you do about it. Dieters need to learn exactly what to say to themselves and what to do when they have cravings so they can wait until their next planned meal or snack.

AF: How can people learn that they don't have to eat in response to hunger or craving?

JB: I ask dieters, once they get medical clearance, to skip lunch one day, not eating between breakfast and dinner. Just doing this exercise once proves to dieters that hunger is never an emergency, that it's tolerable, that it doesn't keep getting worse, but instead, comes and goes, and that they don't need to "fix" their usually mild discomfort by eating. It helps them lose their fear of hunger. They also learn alternative actions to help them change their focus of attention. Feel hungry? Well, try calling a friend, taking a walk, playing a computer game, doing some email, reading a diet book, surfing the net, brushing your teeth, doing a puzzle. My ultimate goal is to train the dieter to resist temptations by firmly saying "No choice," to themselves, then naturally turning their attention back to what they had been doing or engaging in whatever activity comes next.

AF: You said earlier that some cravings follow an emotional reaction to stressful situations. Can you elaborate on that, and explain how cognitive techniques help?

JB: In the short term, the most effective way is to identify the problem and try to solve it. If there's nothing you can do at the moment, call a friend, do deep breathing or relaxation exercises, take a walk to clear your mind, or distract yourself in another way. Read a card that reminds you that you'll certainly not be able to lose weight or keep it off if you constantly turn to food to comfort yourself when you're upset. People without weight problems generally don't turn to food when they're upset. Dieters can learn to do other things, too.

And in the long term, I encourage people to examine and change their underlying beliefs and internal rules. Many people, for example, want to do everything (and expect others to do everything) in a perfect way 100% of the time, and that is simply impossible. This kind of thinking leads to stress.

AF: The title of the book includes a "train your brain" promise. Can you tell us a bit about the growing literature that analyzes the neurobiological impact of cognitive therapy?

JB: Yes, that is a very exciting area. For years, we could only measure the impact of cognitive therapy based on psychological assessments. Today, thanks to fMRI and other neuroimaging techniques, we are starting to understand the impact our actions can have on specific parts of the brain.

AF: Dr. Beck, that is exactly what we find most exciting about this emerging field of neuroplasticity: the awareness that we can improve our lives by refining, "training" our brains, and the growing research behind a number of tools such as cognitive therapy. Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts with us.

JB: My pleasure.

Alvaro Fernandez is the CEO and Co-Founder of SharpBrains.com, which provides the latest science-based information for Brain Health and Brain Training Software, and has been recognized by Scientific American Mind, MarketWatch, CBS, Forbes, and more. Alvaro holds MA in Education and MBA from Stanford University, and teaches The Science of Brain Health at UC-Berkeley Lifelong Learning Institute. You can learn more at http://www.sharpbrains.com/