Do Weight Loss Patches Really Work?

A weight loss patch can be a great help for you to reach your goal in losing weight, as long as you use it correctly. While there are many varieties of these patches available, not all of them can keep their promises. They are fairly easy to apply and with little to no discomfort.

All you have to do is affix it to your skin in the morning and leave it on until the evening. Combined with the manufacturers' promises, this seems like the perfect solution for the busy person that is trying to lose weight.

But how do these patches work?
What is the advantage of a weight loss diet patch over a pill? There are several advantages, but also some disadvantages.
 First of all, it is very easy to just fix a patch to your skin once a day. This way you don't forget to take your pills.
 Also, if you don't want to anyone to know that you are taking weight loss pills, a weight loss patch is more discrete.
 Another real medical advantage is that the active ingredients get directly into your bloodstream and is not destroyed by the stomach acid or liver, like the ingredients found in many pills.

With the use of some weight loss patches you may find traces or even colorization left on your skin, While this can certainly be seen as a disadvantage, rest assured there are no medical drawbacks. Some people find the use of a patch may irritate their skin.

There is another problem with such patches: Studies have shown that those patches that work by absorbing active ingredients through your skin don't work as well on obese people.
This is because the ingredients first have to travel through the fat layer underneath the skin. So, when you need to lose more than just a few pounds, a weight loss patch may not work at all.

Typical ingredients of a diet patch
The exact formulas of such patches are, of course, trade secrets of the manufacturers. But when you compare the different weight loss patches available, you can see a pattern formed. Some of the patches bring well-known players in the weight loss field, into the game, like, for example, Hoodia Gordonii that suppresses appetite.
 While others focus on an algae or bladder wrack that is supposed to stimulate the thyroid gland due to the high concentration of iodine. Since the thyroid gland is largely responsible for your metabolism rate, this makes you burn calories faster.

There are also many other ingredients that can be found in a weight loss diet patch. Typically, those are substances that stimulate your metabolism and make you burn fat faster.

 Guarana and yerba mate, for example, contain caffeine that gets slowly released into the blood, which keeps you stimulated over the course of a day.
Other common ingredients are lecithin, l-carnitine and flaxseed oil, which all help you in your weight loss goal and promote a healthier cardiovascular system.

Results of using a patch to reduce weight
What can you expect from these weight loss products? Basically, like everything else, they are no replacement for diet and exercise.
 However, they can greatly support you by stimulating your metabolism or suppressing your appetite. Also, the caffeine and other active ingredients that stimulate you help you to cope with the reduced energy many people on a diet perceive.

And while there is in most cases no medical evidence that a diet patch works, many manufacturers often offer a 180-day money back guarantee.

Many people have successfully reduced weight with the help of a weight loss patch. However, you should know that there are some possible side effects.

 Hoodia Gordonii for example, doesn't only suppress appetite, but also may make you feel less thirsty, so you need careful about drinking enough water. Also, the caffeine in a weight loss patch can cause feelings of anxiety and sleeplessness.


Which products are there on the market?
When you really want help to lose some of that excess weight by using weight loss diet patches, then you have a variety of products to select from:

• ShapePatch
• HoodiaPatch
• SlimWeight Patch

Are just a few of the names in the market that will try to catch your attention. Go through their lists of ingredients and make sure to pick the right product for your goals.

Should you use a weight loss patch?
All in all, it can be said that diet patches may be a help some people. Their main advantage is that their ingredients get absorbed by your skin allowing you to benefit form their effects over the course of the day. They won't make you shed weight all by themselves, but they may help you to see quicker results and motivating you to keep to your diet.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Gerald_Tellier/937194

The Links Between Drinking Water and Weight Loss

Drinking water and weight loss have always been two things that MUST go together. You just can't lose weight if you drink too little water or if you get dehydrated by too much caffeine, alcohol or sweating! So drinking water and weight loss is a key combination.
But does water MAKE you lose weight?
Here's an amazing fact!

Drinking water is essential to weight loss.

If you plan on losing weight and keeping it off, water is most probably the most important element of your weight loss diet. That is an amazing fact, wouldn't you agree, given the amount of money people spend on diets, diet products and diet pills - water costs almost nothing!

I guess most of us take water for granted, but it's a pretty potent catalyst for long term weight control as well as for good health.

But how are drinking water and weight loss linked?
The better you understand the effect of drinking water and weight loss, I think the more you will start to take this on board in your daily habit and become more conscious of how the dehydrating effects of tea, coffee, cola or alcohol are sabotaging your best weight loss efforts!

Firstly, one remarkable truth is that the body cannot metabolise stored fat efficiently without enough water.
Secondly, if you are retaining water, it figures that it's going to show up as excess weight. Although it might seem odd, to get rid of excess water you actually must drink more water to restore the body's water balance.

Here's FIVE really great tips to maximise the effects of drinking water and weight loss.

Tip 1:
Water keeps your appetite suppressed AND helps your body work off stored fat.
Research have shown that reducing your water intake can cause fat deposits to increase while increasing water intake can actually reduce fat deposits.

Here's the science bit on drinking water and weight loss...

The kidneys cannot work very well with insufficient water. When they do not function to their full capacity and so some of the overload is dumped onto the liver. Since one of the liver's primary functions is to metabolise stored fat to give energy to the body, if the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it cannot work on fat loss.

As a result, it breaks down far less fat than if it was working at its best. The consequence is that more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss grinds to a halt.

Oh my God! Not what you want, right?

So it's really all about drinking water and weight loss, but if you don't drink enough water, it can stop you losing weight and make fat loss like pushing a bit boulder up a steep hill.

Tip 2:
Drinking water is the best treatment for fluid retention.
When the body gets an inadequate amount of water, it responds as if its survival is being threatened and starts to hang on to every drop, storing it in all the little spaces between the cells. The result is swollen feet, hands, and legs. Diuretics offer only a temporary solution, because they force out stored water but you also lose many essential nutrients into the bargain.

Again, because the body sees this as a threat, it will actually replace the lost water first chance it gets. And then the fluid retention returns. The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body what it needs - a bountiful supply of water - so that stored water can be released.

If you continually suffer with water retention, you might want to look at your salt intake - excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate salt only to a certain level. The more salt you eat, the more water your system retains to dilute it. But getting rid of too much salt is straightforward - just drink more water, so it forces the kidneys to flush out excess sodium.

Tip 3:
An overweight person needs more water than a thin one.
The larger you are, the higher your metabolic load. Tip 1 indicates that water is the key to fat metabolism. But water also helps keep up a good muscle tone, providing them the means to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps avoid that sagging skin that can happen after you've lost weight. Shrinking cells are buoyed by water which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and radiant.

Tip 4:
Water helps detoxify the body.
During weight loss, the body has quite a stash of waste to get rid of, including all that fat it has broken down. Again, getting enough water helps flush out the waste and toxins. This can actually also start help with any problems you may have had with constipation. When the body gets too little water, it pulls off what it needs from other sources in the body and guess what? The colon is a major drain on water. So if you're not getting enough water, you're destined to get more than a little constipated! Drinking enough water will quickly get you back to a normal bowel function. BLISS!

Tip 5:
How much water is enough?
On the average, a person should drink eight (8 oz.) glasses every day - that's around 1.5 to 2 litres. However, if you are overweight, you'll need to add one additional glass for every 25 lbs of excess weight. Obviously, if you are exercising and sweating or if the weather is really hot, you should increase the amount that you drink as well.

There's some debate as to whether these 8 glasses should be pure water. My view is that it doesn't matter if you add a little cordial or fruit juice to give it some flavour. In fact I'd even count tea and coffee as long as it's decaffeinated (although it's not ideal). And certainly natural herbal beverages or infusions would count towards your water intake. Of course, there's also water in some of the foods you eat, so that's just a bonus!!

As a final word on drinking water and weight loss, water should preferably be cold - it is absorbed more quickly into the system than warm water. There's also some evidence that drinking cold water can actually burn calories - the so-called 'thermojetic' effect or "negative calories".

What does reaching a 'breakthrough point' mean?
When your body gets the water it needs to function properly, your fluids are perfectly balanced and you will have reached what is called the "breakthrough point".

• Endocrine gland function improves.
• Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost.
• More fat is utilised because the liver is free to metabolise stored fat.
• Natural thirst returns.
• There is a loss of hunger almost overnight.

SO KEEP TANKING UP ON WATER... and be conscious of the very strong link between DRINKING WATER AND WEIGHT LOSS.

To utilize water most efficiently during weight loss, follow this schedule:
· Morning: 750ml consumed over a 30-minute period
· Noon: 750 ml consumed over a 30-minute period.
· Evening: 750 ml consumed between 5-8 pm.
If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of balance again and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain and loss of thirst.

To remedy this situation, you have to go back and force another breakthrough.
So now if you ask about the relationship between drinking water and weight loss, you have a great understanding. Just live by the tips here, and water will be your best friend. To your success!
So now if you ask about the relationship between drinking water and weight loss, you have a great understanding. Just live by the tips here, and water will be your best friend.
To your success!

Jay Allyson is founder & CEO of Belanda Consulting & Marketing helping people to achieve their full potential by enhancing their health, life and work through coaching, nutrition and a good dose of entrepreneurship!
Find out how you can work with her at Blog jayallyson.com or inquire about Joining the Challenge [http://vichallengeuk.info].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jay_Allyson/551971

Loose Skin and Weight Loss

Loose Skin
How many of you have wondered about loose skin? How many have wondered how to get rid of it? Well, I'm here today to help you out a bit. I work for a medical reconstructive and cosmetic surgery practice in New Jersey and I get this question in emails all the time.

People want to lose weight but are concerned about having loose skin. First, let me tell you that I am in no position to give anyone advice, I neither a dietician, nor am I a plastic surgeon but I do work for many surgeons and all my information comes directly from them. The number one thing that they will tell you is to not worry about your loose skin.

 Being healthy and wanting to be healthy is your number one job. Being healthy leads to a happier you, a happier you leads to a healthy happy life. I will explain further why this is so.

What Happens to our Skin?
Loose skin occurs when you lose a certain amount of weight faster than your skin has time to recoil, so pregnant women after giving birth will have some loose skin, people going through a mild to severe weight loss will also have loose skin.

 Loose skin occurs because once your body stretches through weight gain or pregnancy; your skin loses its elasticity.

 To better understand what happens to our skin when we lose weight we should first take a quick look at how we burn fat. When we lose mass by burning fat, the fat doesn't just disappear as we would like it to, instead our fat changes form.

 When we eat, glucose and sugar are harnessed from the carbohydrates we consume; this becomes our bodies' first fuel source and is stored away in the form of glycogen to be released into the bloodstream as necessary.

 Once our bodies run out of this energy then fat takes over during a process called ketosis. During ketosis our hormones then activate an enzyme in fat tissue which ignites to release triglycerides that then break into three components of glycerol and three fatty acid chains in a process called lipolysis.

 The liver then absorbs the glycerol for energy and the fatty acids move to the muscles for energy. Because the fat tissue is removed of some of its components, it shrinks and so does the skin but as stated before only to an extent.

Skin stretches because rapid weight gain or growth (ex. pregnancy) outpaces collagen production in your skin which causes areas to overstretch.

 Just as plastic will tear when stretched too far, so will skin in terms of stretch marks. In cases of massive weight loss, where individuals lose 100 lbs. and over, folds of extra skin remains because the skin had become so outstretched that it hangs from the thinner body like a rubber band that has lost its elasticity. In cases of moderate weight loss, skin can certainly shrink back to fit the body's new size because of its elasticity. However, collagen fibers weaken with age and a few other factors thus resulting in wrinkles.

 The factors that determine your skins elasticity is dependent upon the individual and include whether the individual smokes, their race, sun damage, genetics, and even how often their weight has fluctuated greatly.

So in a sense, the actual amount of loose skin you might have is unknown as it is dependent on many other factors and also why the concern of loose skin shouldn't be a factor in your hopes of losing weight.
 The want and effort to be healthy will do your body and life a million more favors than worrying about loose skin will.

Being healthy and doing the necessary actions to be so will add to your motivation in life, your self-confidence, your work ethic, you name it.

Mild to Moderate Weight Loss
In cases of mild to moderate weight loss, surgery is not required and loose skin can actually be prevented. As mentioned before, a protein in the skin called elastin allows the skin to shrink back to a regular size.

 However, when going through weight loss, losing 20-30 pounds is very different from losing 80 lbs. or more. In cases of moderate weight loss, there are ways to reduce the amount of resulting excess skin through exercise, muscle-building, eating properly, staying hydrated and by losing the weight slowly.

 Exercise that includes increasing muscle tone can tighten connective tissue and help stretch the skin as it essentially acts as a filler to your skin instead of fat tissue.
 By consuming the proper amount of food and water every day will ensure that your skin absorbs the necessary nutrients.

Water is a crucial component of maintaining skin elasticity and you should be taking in at least 2 liters each day.
 The two ingredients that keep skin plump and elastic are elastin and collagen, the protein-rich foods to help form these is found in cottage cheese, legumes, tofu, milk, beans, seeds, nuts, and fish. For optimal absorption, try to consume these calories of protein immediately after your workout.

 Crash diets and excessive amounts of exercise can rapidly shed muscle and fat resulting in a huge loss of support for your skin as the underlying muscular structure that holds skin against your body is lost. It is important to aim for one to two pounds of fat loss per week and be sure to include weight lifting to keep your muscles strong and able.

 Loose skin may occur and that is okay, it is natural and will shrink to an extent over time.
When this occurs it is important to nourish and take care of your skin by daily exfoliation to remove dead skin cells and increase circulation.
 Skin tightening creams with ingredients such as aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, yeast extract, vitamin E, C, A can help to hydrate and increase collagen and elastin formation.

 Make sure to stay away from harsh soaps and shampoos while limiting the amount of sun exposure. Tanning booths and chlorinated water will decrease skin elasticity.

Severe Weight Loss
As mentioned previously, in cases of a severe massive weight loss of 100 lbs. and over through traditional weight loss or weight loss surgery there are some serious health concerns.

 First, weight-loss surgery is not a quick fix, surgeons recommend having a regular diet and exercise plan even after the surgery to keep your weight stable to ensure the efforts of the surgery are maintained. Weight-loss surgery of over 100 lbs.
 will result in loose skin and while medical surgeons will remove the weight, the excess skin is not removed. This is something not all patients know before-hand resulting in patients having a poor body image as it was not what they were expecting sometimes causing emotional stress.

The excess skin that results from weight-loss surgery and a severe drop in weight (100lbs.+) can cause health defects only because there is so much loose skin that the skin becomes a health problem itself. Folds of skin from a massive weight loss can result in psychological and physical problems.

The physical problems that result from loose apron-like skin is intertrigo-a bacterial, fungal, or viral infection that occurs often due to the difficulty in keeping these folds of excess skin clean and dry.

 The skin can also cause back pains and ulcerations.
 Psychological problems occur when body image expectations are not met; an individual may lose 100+ pounds and not realize the effects of loose skin.

 So their incredible effort into losing weight results in having apron-like folds of skin.
There are a few treatment options for these severe cases of massive weight loss and most are solved with plastic surgery.
 Post-bariatric surgery and body lifts involve many body areas as patients have loose skin not only on their abdomen but also through the face, neck, thighs, buttocks, arms and breast.

Surgery will leave small and large noticeable scars though most patients find these acceptable and enjoy more self-confidence when wearing a bathing suit.
 Depending on the patient, procedures can be chosen selectively focusing on the most problematic areas.

 For example, a patient who has lost a moderate amount of weight but has a mild amount of loose skin can have just a tummy tuck to remove remaining fat and skin in the abdomen areaMen who have gone through a massive weight loss sometimes result in sagging or large breasts also known as gynecomastia.
 Here liposuction alone may be satisfactory, however, this is not typical and breast augmentation or reduction may be necessary. Each individual is different which is why it is crucial to first speak or have a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon.
Your surgeon will be able to identify if you are a good candidate for surgery and will guide you through different procedures that will ultimately give you the satisfactory body you would like to achieve. There are insurance options for severe cases as those mentioned above; this is because excess skin can cause serious medical problems and is not just cosmetic. Again it is best to speak with a surgeon to create an entire plan that is best for you.

Our expert surgeons are recognized throughout New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area for their outstanding work in cosmetic, reconstructive, and hand procedures.

 Whatever your interests or needs, the plastic surgeons at Summit Medical Group offer a wide range of procedures designed to help rejuvenate, polish, and refine your look.

 Confidential consultations are available to discuss what would look best for you and how to achieve a natural, healthy-looking result. Specializing in not only post-bariatric surgery but they are also the leading surgeons in breast augmentations and liposuction in New Jersey and New York.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Kate_Bowden/694577

Weight Loss Can Be Easily Done

Have I got your attention?
Many people don't believe that the above statement is true because they don't understand the basics of weight loss.

Losing weight is not a sprint, it is a marathon. In other words don't try to lose weight in 2 weeks that took 2 years to gain. Sure there are diets that promise that you will lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks but most of those diets are not sustainable.

When you go on one of these diets you will lose weight, but it is mostly water, not the fat that you want to lose.
 Once you finish or go off this diet, and you will because most of them are boring and you go back to eating the foods that you like, you will gain the weight you lost and more because you did not change your eating behaviour while on the diet.

So how can losing weight be easy? First you need to set yourself reasonable and attainable goals. Use the SMART method of goal setting:

Specific - set a target goal for your weight loss, keep to a rather small number say 2 to 3 pounds
Measurable - keep a record of your progress in a Weight Loss Journal
Achievable - make the goal you set something that is possible to attain.

Realistic - don't try to lose all of the weight all at once, remember this is a marathon
Timely - set a time limit to achieve your goal.
By using this method you will program your mind, for any effective program to lose weight has a mental portion as well as a physical portion to it, if you want to stick to a weight loss plan.

Next is to monitor the food you eat. Use your Weight Loss Journal to keep track of all the food you eat during the day.
You may be surprised at how many high sugar/high calorie snacks and drinks you have during the day. When you know what you are eating, you can eliminate those foods that are not part of a healthy diet and substitute more healthy foods into your weight loss plan.
 Don't eliminate fats, but get the right kind of fat, not the saturated fats that you get from fried foods but more unsaturated fats and fatty acids.
 Some fat is necessary for your body to fully absorb the nutrients contained in the many foods we eat.

You will need to do some exercise but this can be as simple as a brisk walk for 20 to 30 minutes. Going to the gym is not necessary unless you want to build muscle, which will also aid you in reducing fat, but when starting your weight loss plan it is best to stick with a simple exercise which you can do without the expense of a gym membership.

Finally, motivate yourself to stick with your plan. Post pictures on a vision board of how you want to look. Tell your friends about your plan.
They will continue to ask about your progress which can be a part of your motivation. Also, reward yourself when you reach your intermediate goals. This could be a dinner out or a bowl of ice-cream or some chocolate, just eat in moderation when you eat these things.

These tips should make your weight loss easy. You will find that following these tips will mean a change in your lifestyle s well as a loss of weight that you can keep off.

Some further information on dieting and weight loss and additional tips can be found at: http://weight-loss-success-information.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

Michael Liu is living in China and continuously studies weight loss and the methods which will work.
Finding the right diet plan can be difficult. More weight loss information can be found at: http://weight-loss-success-information.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/M._Liu/1728617

Long Term Weight Loss Tips

Whenever someone decides that they want to start a weight loss regime, they are often drawn to the latest fad or gimmick. This is a shame because I have noticed from my experience as a fitness instructor that the good intentions are there but when these fads yield results they are not long term weight loss results.

Soon after the results are achieved, the weight that was lost is now back! This is always a hard pill to swallow and the dieter will have to start from square one again.

Because results were achieved by this fad or gimmicky diet before, this person will continue on this quick fix journey, bouncing from crash diet to crash diet but never get long term results.

I hate to see this happen!

If someone has the energy and patience to continue on this "yo yo" dieting path, why not put that energy into actually working towards long term success? It just takes a shift in mind-set.

I have put together some long term weight loss tips that you can use if you would like to look at a more sustainable approach to weight loss.

Long term weight loss tips #1: Don't go on a diet, educate yourself on the food that you eat...
My definition of "diet" is:

"The food that you eat on a daily basis. Everyone is on a diet of some kind"
If you eat fast food a lot, you are on a diet of fast food, if you eat only sugary snacks, you are on a sugar diet, if you eat vegetables, you are on a vegetarian diet. The list goes on.

My point is that if you would like a healthy diet that will help you lose the weight that you don't ever want to see again; you have to eat the right things to help you along.
This may sound blindingly obvious but you would be surprised at how often this factor is overlooked!

I would always recommend that you search for the right balance of nutrition and calories. Start with the basics and then hone your knowledge; after all, you have the rest of your life to work on this.

 Just keep putting into practice the new knowledge that you pick up. Be in it for the long term!

Long term weight loss tips #2: You don't have to cut out your favourite foods!

When looking at weight loss for the long term, you may think that if you embark on this for the rest of your life, you will never get to eat your favourite foods again! This is a horrible thought!

It is also not true! From experience, the best way to do this is to have a "Cheat day". A cheat day will allow you to eat a meal that you really enjoy once per month or once per week. I actually do this myself.

I used to be a fan of a good old English fish and chip shop! This is probably one of the highest calorie meals that you can eat so it's not great for a dieter. I cut this out for a long time and now I will struggle to eat a full-sized portion even on a cheat day.

So if you organise a "Cheat day" you will look forward to this for the first few times around and your favourite food will taste all the better, but eventually, you may even wean yourself off this bad food completely! Either way you are a winning.

Long term weight loss tips #3: Eat at least 4 times per day

Yep! Eat more food to burn more fat! Here is the theory; if you eat regularly, you will stop your body going into "Fat storage mode". If don't eat for long periods of time, your body will decide that you are not going to be fed and try to conserve the calories that you have given it.

I always relate this to how laptops react to not being plugged into the mains when being worked on; they go into "power saving mode", the screen dims to save on battery power so it can last a bit longer. The laptop is not firing on all cylinders, similar to the human body.

By eating regularly does not mean snacking on donuts and cakes. You can snack between meals on carrot sticks, almonds, unflavored popcorn, salads, beef jerky, fresh fruit.

long term weight loss tips #4 Healthy substitutes for your favourite food

Everyone has a favourite food that is probably not really good for them? It is a great idea to find healthy alternatives to these foods.
Let's look at pizza as an example. Pizza can be very "calorific" and unhealthy. A good idea is to make your own, you will have control of what goes on this, you can, you can:

• limit the amount of cheese that you put on and use a "Low fat" alternative
• Add extra veggies to the topping
• Use a thin whole meal base or even make your own if you are particularly skilled in this area
• You can even use a flattened chicken breast as the base of the pizza, this can make it super healthy! As long as you have a bit of oregano and tomato puree, you will have a good pizza taste.

If you take note of " Long term weight loss tips #1 and you learn to be creative in the kitchen, you will find this enjoyable as well as great for your health and weight loss plans!

Long term weight loss tips #5: Prepare your food for the day

This is one of the most inconvenient parts of the whole weight loss and fitness game. Yes it will take a bit of extra time but the longer that you stick to it, the easier and quicker that it will become.

Remember that you are looking for Long term weight loss tips. If you rely on canteen food and convenience food outlets, you may come unstuck.
This is why it is best to take your own pack lunch to work or school, you will have total control over your food intake this way.

If you do have a healthy option canteen that is reliable for you to visit at work, great! You can use this, but if it is hit and miss, it's best to sort yourself out.

Get yourself into a routine, prepare your food before you go to bed, ready for the following day, you will be surprised at how quickly you will get used to this if you just perceiver.

Long term weight loss tips #6: Don't over complicate things at the start

When it comes to diet, food, exercise and fitness, there is a whole bunch of information out there. It is so easy to be taken in by a different approach especially if you are new to this game.

The best advice that I think a newbie to weight loss should observe:

"Keep it simple, practice the basics, and perceiver. Be in it for the long term"
If you had not guessed already, I am a big fan of long term sustainable weight loss. If you are serious about your health and weight loss goals, I believe that this is the only approach that you should have.

Please visit http://swapfat4fit.com/ For more help on your weight loss and fitness journey, some other posts here include:

lifestyle changes to lose weight
fitness motivational quotes powerful tool
could you be one of the weight loss success stories?
Thanks for reading!
All the best
Jim

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/J._Atkinson/1460700

Weight Loss - The Sleep Prescription

There are many reasons why people are more overweight nowadays than they ever have been before. It is true - as a society, obesity is becoming epidemic, and it's starting to affect people of all ages. The fact that more children are obese nowadays is especially worrying, for example.

 There are, however, some good reasons why this is the case, and if we can get to the bottom of the reasons behind weight gain, we can also use this information to come up with a weight loss prescription that really works.

One key component seems to be sleep. We all know how important sleep is - in fact, without enough sleep, our bodies may even undergo a complete physical and mental breakdown. Now there is evidence to suggest that a lack of sleep can also lead to weight gain.

 Here's how it works - not getting enough sleep leads to a general state of malaise - you just don't feel very well when you don't sleep. Our bodies instinctively seek to regain a feeling of wellbeing by eating - particularly foods that are high in carbohydrates and other sugars.

When you eat a lot of carbs, there is a serotonin response that makes you feel better for a short while. So, we look to food as a 'remedy' for lack of sleep, because in a sense it works - at least in the short term. Over time, of course, that leads to weight gain.

 So, conversely, making sure that you get enough sleep is a great way to kick start or to augment your weight loss plan.

How much sleep is enough? It varies from person to person. A figure that is commonly bandied about is eight hours, but that's an average.

 Some people need less sleep than that, and will do just fine with four hours. For others, eight hours isn't quite enough - they need nine or ten hours, at least most nights.

How did our ancestors fair, considering that many of them had to be up at the crack of dawn to attend to farm chores? Actually, they did quite well, compared to us. They got to bed on time - sometimes with the sun, but always before midnight.
 I have heard it said that an hour of sleep before midnight is worth two after midnight. That may or may not be true, but what is certain is that today's modern lifestyle is playing havoc with our sleep patterns and that this has a big effect on weight and overall health.

If you aren't used to getting to bed on time, here are some hints to get you started. First of all, maintain the same bedtime all the time, even on the weekends. Likewise, you should get up at around the same time every day. Make your sleep and waking hours predictable, in other words.

Some people think that they can 'catch up' on lost sleep by sleeping late on the weekend. Actually, while this might work in the short term, in the long term nothing could be further from the truth. Sleeping late on the weekends sets you up for a destructive pattern - you won't be able to get to sleep on time on Sunday night, and you'll start the week off with a sleep deficit.

On the other hand, naps, if they're short, can be a great way to catch up on sleep in the short term. Catching a short nap - half an hour or so - in the afternoon is a great habit to get into - in fact, most of our ancestors did precisely that. In fact, if you feel like you're short on energy in the afternoon, try a nap instead of reaching for a coffee of a chocolate bar.
 That's a much better way of boosting your energy for the rest of the day.
Just sleeping more probably isn't the answer to all your weight loss problems- it is, however, a great start. This simple measure can give you an improved feeling of wellbeing, which means that you won't be trying to 'feel better' by eating food that your body doesn't really need. Of course, another benefit is the fact that increasing your sleep means that you will you'll have more energy for exercising!

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Michael_Bens/24834

Why Low Calorie Is Not A Successful Weight Loss Method

In countries which experience famine obesity is not an issue, in many developing countries where poverty is the norm it is common to see overweight mothers bringing malnourished children to NGO medical clinics.

Studies have shown this to be true in South America, the Pacific Islands and The Caribbean. It is not that the mothers are greedy but the high carb diet they eat makes them fat and their children sick.

In the developed world the broken record dietary message has been to eat less and exercise more. Sure you can lose weight if you starve yourself and walk around hungry while dreaming about food, but how long will that last.

If you eat a 2000 calorie a day diet and you drop to 1500 in the very short term you will lose weight but soon your metabolism will gear down to 1500 and your weight loss will stop. Studies have shown that this can happen on a diet as low as 800 calories.

All the corporate weight loss systems rely on the short term loss to keep customers paying for programs or food. Then they hang on longer hoping to keep the loss going and believing that it is their problem for not sticking to the programme properly.

The biggest low calorie business in the world, weight watchers, according to choice magazine has a 2% success rate over two years, which is less than can be expected if people join no group at all.

The low success rate happens for several reasons.

1. The low fat programme means that extra carbohydrates are used in place, which in turn are converted to fat by insulin.
2. Artificial sweeteners are used in some products in place of sugar, but as modern research shows, these sweeteners cause food cravings, weight gain and type 2 diabetes.
3. They assume that all calories are created equal. So you can use your points to eat vegetables or chocolate brownies, which may make their clients feel better, but is nutritional insanity!

Of course there are many such companies and the delivered food model is no different. I know of many people who have a freezer full of such low calorie meals. It is well known that most people are slow to cancel any membership.

 

As long as you persist with the low calorie model you will be hungry and disappointed, you will lose some weight and gain it all back over and over again.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ian_Newton/300020